Take by Storm
by Telebee
Summary: Post-War Arc AU. Fire Fist Ace: Rescued. Whitebeard & Allies: Escaped...Mugiwara Luffy: Captured. They thought the war had ended, but it had only just begun. The Strawhats will do everything it takes to get their Captain back. And they are not alone.
1. Prologue

**Warning:** SPOILERS for non-manga followers! You'll be spoilt if you know nothing about the events of the Marineford War.

**More Warnings:** Future updates may be irregular since current plot outline in my head is still vague and the quality may vary from bad to very bad. Grammar, plot holes and spelling errors shall be inevitable but all are welcome to correct.

**Disclaimer:** This is all respectfully borrowed from Oda's genius.

* * *

**Take by Storm**

**Prologue**

**-  
**

Marine Supreme Commander Sengoku spat out a mouthful of blood and looked down bitterly at the bloody form laying limply where Fire-fist Ace had been kneeling mere hours ago. There was not a single spot of unbroken skin left on the boy and he looked more like a discarded, shattered doll than the infamously outrageous pirate, Mugiwara Luffy.

Outrageous he definitely was…Challenging the world government at Enies Lobby, attacking a world noble at Shabondy and taking on the entire Royal Marine at their very own headquarters. What a complete fool of unthinkable proportions. The sort of fool that had just messed up his perfect plan and changed the course of history. The sort of fool that he absolutely detests.

They had lost Whitebeard; they had lost all those convicts from Impel Down; they had even lost Fire-fist Ace, though he had been locked and bolted right under their noses, guarded by the greatest of military forces. They had all but lost the most important war in recent history because of this unforeseen wild card: A fledging pirate who was just beginning to make a name for himself in the big leagues.

It's hard to imagine that the person laying at his feet now, so quiet and lifeless, had been capable of the tremendous explosion of power and strength he displayed at that crucial moment earlier in time. Mugiwara Luffy's sudden burst of incredible haki, accompanied by an unstoppable flurry of fists, had taken both him and Admiral Akainu down—partly by force, partly by pure surprise.

Not for long, but still long enough for him to reach his brother, throw him off the execution platform into the waiting arms of his comrades and collapse in his place.

Mission complete, the Whitebeard pirates and other invaders had no further intention to fight out this battle which had already cost them too much. More than two-thirds of their forces were in no condition to continue fighting and even Whitebeard himself was gravely injured. Their retreat was swift and efficient.

Though some did stay and made daring attempts to rescue the fallen little hero, the three admirals and Garp himself personally saw to it that none were successful. Eventually, they all made the wiser decision to retreat, recoup their losses...and leave Mugiwara Luffy behind.

So now he lay at Sengoku's feet, unconscious and almost dead. Without his trademark strawhat, the pirate seemed uncharacteristically vulnerable and exposed. His brows were smooth and relaxed; his expression almost serene despite the blood dripping down his cheeks. How could a notorious pirate with a bounty of 300 million beri be so young and harmless-looking? His limbs are so slender they looked like they could be snapped as easily as twigs. How could they have been capable of such formidable strength?

How could such a child have taken down veritable monsters like Crocodile and Gecko Moria? How could he have so readily taken on the world for his nakama and his brother? Curious…and frustratingly admirable. Sengoku frowned, realizing with displeasure that his previously immense hatred for the boy was rapidly losing steam.

A sudden thud beside him announced the presence of Garp, who had fallen to his knees beside his unconscious grandson. The tough old man's face was streaked with tears, but he didn't reach out to touch his grandson nor speak a single word. He just kneeled there silently, gaze full of pain and regret and anguish, looking a full 10 years older.

After a long wordless moment of grief, the vice-admiral stood up and left. He didn't look back, though his shoulders were visibly trembling.

As Sengoku watched the other man leave, he hardened his heart. Even Garp knew full well that it would come to this. He'd gone through loss once, with that which almost happened to Fire-fist Ace, he can go through it again.

It didn't matter that Luffy was the only grandson of the great marine hero, his old (though he admits this grudgingly) friend, Vice-Admiral Garp. It didn't matter that he was just a stupid and guileless child, barely 18, breaking laws and taboos like so many sandcastles. It didn't even matter that he was broken and bleeding, looking as if he could not even survive till the next day, let along the torture and torment he was surely going to face at the hands of those depraved, over-privileged sadists.

Sengoku clenched his jaws, still tasting the fresh blood the boy's punches had drawn and told himself it all didn't matter—He was going to follow orders and deliver Monkey D. Luffy to the Tenryuubito, and that was that.

"Men, take Mugiwara Luffy onto Vessel 29. Set course for Mariejoa. Admiral Kizaru is to escort the prisoner there first thing tomorrow," Fleet-admiral Sengoku ordered.

Marine soldiers hurried forward, clapping the unresisting pirate in heavy seastone cuffs and dragging him away, leaving a trail of blood.

"…clean him up and get him bandaged first," Sengoku added, almost as an afterthought.

That day was the end of the great Marineford Whitebeard War, later to be known in history as the beginning of the revolution of the century.

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TBC


	2. They gather

**Warning:** I try to stick to canon so this entire story is one huge spoiler up till **Ch 568** of the manga. But it's totally AU from there on...

**A/N: **Merry Christmas! Thanks for your reviews. I'm glad some noticed that Luffy's going to Mariejois and not Impel Down. Reasons will become explicit in future chapters. Speculations and suggestions are welcomed. Apologies for all errors in advance.

**Disclaimer:** This is all respectfully borrowed from Oda's genius.

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**  
Chapter 1**

**-  
**

(Aboard the _Sea Wolf_)

-

The first thing Ace sees when he opens his eyes is the ceiling. It is a wooden ceiling, illuminated only by speckles of sunlight leaking through flimsy curtains. The wood looks rough and unpolished, but sturdy and reliable, able to withstand wind and rain and high sea storms. It is dry at the moment, extremely plain and uninteresting, but Ace stares at it as if transfixed.

Who would have thought that the infamous Fire Fist Ace, 2nd division captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, could be so overwhelmed by the sight of a simple ceiling?

But here he is, looking up at the ceiling blankly, lost in the sensation of a warm bed, soft sheets and the familiar rocking of sea waves. Slowly, he nudges his arm out and reaches up towards the ceiling with his hand, marveling at the lightness of his wrist now that it is finally free of seastone restraints. Soft, clean bandages have replaced the heavy cuffs.

The hand is much like the ceiling, rough and unpolished but strong, with long, callused digits and well-defined knuckles. Ace lights his hand up and lets the flame dance from one fingertip to another. The naturalness with which he is able to perform these familiar motions sends a shiver down his arm.

This is the feeling of freedom. The feeling of being alive. The feeling he'd almost lost some time between when they first pushed him into the boiling waters of Impel Down and when he kneeled helplessly while watching his loved ones battle and fall around him at Marineford.

Clenching his hand into a fist and smothering the flame within it, Ace finally snaps out of his reverie and prepares to face the price paid to obtain this freedom. He was ready to atone for the injuries, even deaths, of numerous friends, nakama…and Whitebeard, his beloved oyaji. But the first thing his eyes alight upon when he sits up is the strawhat sitting placidly by his bedside.

He knows immediately that it is Luffy's strawhat.

Ace can recall those last few moments with uncanny clarity. The strawhat had been fastened securely around Luffy's neck when he landed on the execution platform beside Ace, grinning widely despite all his wounds. He then shoved a key into Ace's mouth and pushed him off the platform's edge without a moment's pause.

Ace remembers the taste of iron and copper in his mouth, both from the rust of the key and his own blood. He remembers free-falling until he was caught by Marco, swooping up in full phoenix form, followed almost immediately by Admiral Kizaru's attack.

Mostly, he remembers keeping his eyes fixed fiercely upon his little brother. He watched as Luffy wobbled on his feet, barely avoiding Admiral Akainu's blast of magma, and collapsed onto the ground. The last thing he remembers—just before Kizaru's kick landed squarely on his chest and everything went black—was the image of Luffy's dark, unmoving head and the bright yellow strawhat.

Now the strawhat's here, but Luffy is not. _So why is it here and…where is Luffy?_

Quashing down his rising unease and anxiety, Ace picked up the strawhat and hurries off in search of its owner. But the moment he steps out of the cabin door, he is surprised to see what seems to be half the 2nd division camped outside.

"Taichou! You're awake!"

"Finally! It's been 3 days!"

"You shouldn't be out of bed! Get back in, we'll call for a nurse!"

They leapt up eagerly when they saw him, loudly voicing their joy in his recovery and concern for his health. It is both strange and touching to see these men, all supposedly ruthless and uncouth pirates, being so caring…especially since they themselves are displaying a variety of injuries both big and small.

Ace has many words to say to them, both those of gratitude and of apology. However, there is something more pressing to be attended to, so instead he merely smiles and asks, "Does anyone know where my brother is? Luffy, I mean."

A sudden silence descended upon the group. The 2nd division members all looked at each other, not knowing what to say but hoping that someone else would be able to defuse the situation. Their reluctance to answer his simple question immediately triggered off an alarm in Ace's head. Abruptly, he pushes past them and sets off to find out the answer personally.

The other pirates he met along the way all greeted him with good cheer, but also answered with awkward silence when he asked about Luffy. Room by room, he combed the ship until he reached the deck. He did not find Luffy, but he found Marco, who was engaged in some furious discussion about what course the ship should take.

"Oh, Ace. You're up!" Marco greets him with casual ease upon spotting him, almost as if the war had not occurred, "How are you feeling?"

"Luffy's strawhat is with me, but he's not on this ship," Ace ignores his question and got straight to the point. "Where is he?"

Marco's previously cheerful face immediately darkened. "I'm sorry…that strawhat was all that I managed to get of him."

"W-what are you saying?" Ace asks, aghast, "Where is he?"

"The admirals went all out. They probably didn't want to lose another person…I wanted to keep trying, but the old man was in critical conditions and everything was in chaos so I had to...I had to…" Marco explained haltingly, but Ace was not listening.

"WHERE IS MY LITTLE BROTHER?" he demands a final time.

Marco sighs, full of weariness and regret. "I don't know. We left him at Marineford."

Ace froze, completely stunned by the admission despite having anticipated it. Then the implications began to sink in: Luffy had been left behind, _abandoned_, alone and defenceless, at the Marine Headquarters. And here he is, safe and free on the high seas. The situation could not be more cruel and abhorrent…he would gladly have died on that platform if it means that this reality can be reverse.

"I'm going back for him."

"Of course," Marco assures him. "We're already planning out the rescue mission. Our forces will be able to regroup and be ready for battle soon. A month, latest."

"No. I'm going back for him _now_."

"Don't be stupid! It doesn't matter if he's still in Marineford or sent to Impel Down, you're not going to be able to do anything by just being reckless," the 1st division captain snapped, "We didn't risk everything to save you just to have you throw your life away—" He stops short, realising what he had just said. Ace's face had gone pale and his fists are clenched so tight the knuckles flushed white.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way," Marco softened his tone. He has been under a tremendous amount of strain in the past few days and even his usually easy-going nature is becoming brittle.

"You don't have to apologise. You didn't say anything wrong."

It was an ambivalent moment that could have progressed in a number of different ways, but this was all interrupted by the frenzied arrival of Jozu.

"Marco! Ace! Come quick! Oyaji is awake and he wants to see all the captains immediately! He…he's not looking good!"

Without another word, they both dashed off after him.

-

(Shakky's Rip-off Bar_, Shabondy_)

-

"You demon! I've told you everything! Now give that back to me, it's mine!" Buggy the clown was glaring down Nami the Burglar cat.

"No, it's not. I don't know why Luffy gave it to a conniving bastard like you but he had no right to. This was on loan to him from me," she replied, holding the glass bracelet out of his reach.

"I already told you it was as thanks for my saving his ass back in Impel Down!"

"As if that could have happened! Tell me the truth!"

As she argued with their former foe, the rest of the strawhat crew loitered around the bar. Robin and Franky sat beside Nami, keeping watch over the heated exchange, ready to intervene should Buggy attempt escape or violence. Chopper and Usopp were enjoying a gigantic multi-coloured sundae at another table. Brook sat with them, leisurely sipping his tea. Zoro snoozed quietly away in a corner.

They'd all met up over the last few days, finding their way to the Sunny-go and each other via Rayleigh's biblicard. Only Sanji has yet to arrive.

"The truth? The truth is that I've got a hundred man crew awaiting my return and they're going to destroy you when they find out that you've been holding their captain hostage!"

"Your so-called crew dispersed the minute your ship touched shore, Mr. Clown," Robin informed him with a smile, "And your ship…seems to have sunk. I suggest it is to your benefit to cooperate with us."

"You…!!" Buggy's face turned red enough to match his nose, but then he caught himself and managed to calm down. "Heh, you haven't got much of a crew either. Since your captain's probably on his way to Impel Down right now, if not already in it! Sucker!"

"Hey, watch your mouth," Franky warned, holding up a huge fist.

Buggy looked like he had more to say, but then the doors of the bar suddenly slammed figure in the doorway was dressed in a tattered suit and looked like he'd just been spat out by a sea king. But there was no mistaking that blonde hair, long legs and curly eyebrow. Sanji had finally arrived.

His feverish eyes scanned the bar quickly and immediately zoomed in on Nami and Robin's table. Whilst everyone was waiting for him to say something, the cook fell to his knees and began to sob loudly, "Nami-swannnnn! Robin-channnn! I thought I would never see you again! Oh, such beauty! Oh, my angels! I must be in heaven! Oh, Mellorine heavennnnn~~~~ Mellorine! Mellorine! Mellorine~~~"

"Hi Sanji, welcome back!" Nami smiled, somehow more glad to see that he hadn't changed much than annoyed with his dramatics.

"Yohoho~ Everyone's here now!"

"Super! The ship is ready to set off at anytime!"

"You're late, Sanji," Usopp berated, still stuffing himself with mouthfuls of ice cream, "We've all been waiting for you. Cause Luffy's in trouble and we've got to go help him or something."

"Help him?" Buggy scoffed, "What, the 8 of you? A bunch of non-fruit users and a touring freak show? Ha!"

"Who're you calling a freak show, you stupid red-nose!" Chopper objected immediately.

"What's he doing here? Where's Luffy?" Sanji snapped out of his mellorine adoration and finally noticed their former enemy and missing captain.

"Oh, we ran into him while shopping for supplies…Have you seen the news yet?" Nami pushed a copy of the papers to Sanji. On the front page was a huge picture of the pirate fraction attacking Marineford, including Whitebeard, Luffy and also…Buggy. Beneath it was the bold headline '300 million beri Supernova Captured!'.

Sanji's eyes widened and the blood drained from his face. He'd been cut off from the world at large ever since he landed on that godforsaken island and this was the first time he was updated about everything that had taken place in the meanwhile.

"Shit."

"We chased Buggy down once we saw him to find out what happened," Nami continued, "He had Luffy's glass bracelet with him." She held up the little accessory Luffy had been wearing ever since they left Thriller Bark.

"Give that back!" Buggy raged, suddenly splitting his body and sending a hand flying towards her. Everybody reacted immediately, but Sanji was the fastest. He easily kicked the hand out of the air and pinned it to the ground with one foot.

"Don't be rude to ladies, you shitty clown," he sneered, grinding down with his heel and causing Buggy to hiss in pain, "Now tell me everything you know."

"I already told you people everything! I met him when he broke into Impel Down and he made a mess of my perfect escape plan. Then when we finally got out, he made us all sail to Marineford and join the bloody war because he wanted to save Fire fist Ace. Of all the dumb, crazy things to do!" the clown raged.

"And somehow, he managed to do it! But that's why he's been captured by the Marines! How can someone do something as mad and stupid as that and expect to get away with it? Of course he's been captured by the goddamn Marines!"

"Luffy saved Ace?" Sanji asked. It was just incredulous, saving a man from right under the blade of the Marine HQ.

"Yeah, but don't ask me how. It all happened too fast."

"Why are you here then?"

"I…I got the hell outta there the minute Whitebeard and his team left…"

"They. Left. Luffy. Behind?" Sanji's gritted the words out one by one. He's expression was calm, but inexplicably terrifying. Buggy quailed under his glare, "Well, eh, he was being guarded by like, 3 admirals and Whitebeard's forces were mostly depleted by that time um, yeah."

"We can't rely on others to protect our captain, after all," Robin cut in gently, "We'll have to do it ourselves."

"Heh. You've got that right," Zoro grinned. He had been awake and observing the situation ever since Buggy's attempt to snatch the glass bracelet from Nami. "We'll just break into Impel Down and get Luffy out. If our idiot captain can do it, so can we."

"Oi oi Zoro. You're in no position to call other people idiots," Chopper and Usopp chorused.

"Huhhhh." Zoro turned his glare upon them.

"We've very sorry. Please don't hurt us." They backed down immediately.

"You're insane! All of you! You think breaking into Impel Down is a walk in the park? Don't joke around, you fools!" Buggy snarled at them, "It's patrolled by a dozen ranks of grotesque creatures and demon guards, surrounded by sea kings in the middle of a calm belt. You won't even be able to make it there, let alone get someone out!"

The Strawhats crew merely looked at him, completely unfazed.

"There's a journey Luffy promised to take us on, and we're just half-way through it," Sanji said mildly, "We've still got a long way to go together, so we'll bring him back no matter what it takes."

"Wowww Sanji! You just said something really cool!" Chopper and Usopp looked up at him with glittery eyes.

"Stupid ero cook, speak for your own damn self," Zoro muttered, spoiling the effect of Sanji's 'cool' words.

"Damnit, Marimo! I'll waste you before those demon guards even get to you!"

"You can try, curly eyebrow!"

"Stop it, you two!" Nami knocked them both down with a punch, "I guess we're all set to go to Impel Down then."

"Yohoho, how exciting to finally visit the infamous 5 levels of Hell… Wait, I've already been to Hell!"

"Ok, Buggy, you lead us there."

"WHAT! No way I'm ever going back there! I just got out! Go by your own damn selves!!!"

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TBC


	3. They depart

**A/N:** Thanks for reviews! I've read them all seriously.

About the timeline…yes, that's screwed up. Sorry.

About why I wrote the Strawhats so calm—1) the situation is very straightforward, no mysterious disappearances or nameless enemies. They know what they've got to do. 2) Brook's philosophy of "It doesn't really make any difference whether we worry or relax while we wait". 3) It's Luffy. But um, Sanji's agitated reaction in particular was supposed to reflect how they all felt when they initially found out about the news. Yeah…something like that.

**Disclaimer:** This is all respectfully borrowed from Oda's genius.

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**  
Chapter 2**

-

(Post-war restoration site, _Marineford_)

-

Marineford was in a state of chaos. Between the post-war rebuilding efforts and reorganisation of manpower, Sengoku was swamped by a mountain of paperwork and minor officers wanting to know things like when supplies for their ship repairs will be sent.

Even while he was away from his office, inspecting the proposed construction plans of the new Gates of Justice, a non-stop buzz of reports and requests were delivered to him by a stream of marine privates.

"Sir! Admiral Kizaru reports that they have been delayed by a lightning storm, but he expects to arrive at the Jasper Gate by tomorrow!"

"I understand," Sengoku focused grimly on the blueprints spread out before him.

"Sir! A member of the Council of Kings, King Nerfetari Cobra of Alabasta is on the den den mushi asking for you. He's demanding that Mugiwara Luffy be given a trial and wants to see him in Impel Down."

"I don't have time to entertain him. Tell him it is none of his business how we deal with wanted criminals. And Impel Down is not a visiting centre."

"Sir! Boa Hancock wants to see you immediately!"

"Has she calmed down yet?" Sengoku finally looked up from the work table and excused himself from the architects.

"She's not trying to kill everyone in sight, if that's what you mean sir. She also agreed to restore all the men she turned to stone during the war."

"And the other one, Jinbei?"

"He's still refusing to negotiate, sir."

"I'll give him until tonight. If he still refuses to see reason, then he is to be stripped of his Shichibukai position. Admiral Aokiji can escort him back to Impel Down along with Emporio Ivankov," he ordered coldly. "Now, where is Boa Hancock?"

"In your office, sir."

"I see…What! My office? Doflamingo is there as well. They are not to be left alone together!" Frowning deeply in frustration, Sengoku strode briskly back to his office. He was both surprised and relieved to see that the room was still undamaged and intact.

Doflamingo, lounging on his couch like a giant pink carpet, greeted him with a smirk and an inappropriately friendly "Yo, Sengoku!". Boa Hancock sat primly and stiffly at his desk, decidedly not looking at the monstrous pink form sprawled out just across the room. She also did not look at Sengoku when he entered.

"Boa Hancock, have you come to your senses?" he questioned upon taking his place at his desk.

"You don't have permission to speak my name." Her warning was soft but venomous.

"Fine. Do you wish to take up your position as a member of the Royal Shichibukai again, _Empress_?"

"Why else would I be here?" She was still not looking at him. Her head was bowed and her eyes lowered. Her lashes, lush and thick, cast little shadows on her lovely cheekbones. She looked frail and delicate, like she ought to be protected from all the unpleasant things in the world. Thankfully, Sengoku knew only too well that it was all an illusion.

"You repeatedly defied protocol, attacked your own allies and tried to help a wanted criminal," he listed her crimes gravely, "Your betrayal and hostile behaviour caused us a lot of damage and trouble, Empress. You are _this_ close to becoming an enemy of the World Government."

"But you'll forgive me right?" She finally looked up, revealing the full extent of her exquisite face and fixing her captivating obsidian eyes upon him, "Because...I am beautiful."

Though experienced and prepared, even the unshakable "Great Buddha" Sengoku was dumbstruck for a moment.

"Fuffuffuffu…" Doflamingo's laughter rang out particularly jarring in the silence, "They've just replaced Crocodile and lost Jinbei. Of course they don't want to be losing another Shichibukai so soon. Though I've got to say, it'd probably have been straight to Impel Down for me if I went and did what you did, Hancock. This is gender discrimination, Sengoku! Fuffuffuffu—"

His laugh was cut short when Boa Hancock's heel buried itself into the spot on the wall where his head would have been if he had not moved just in time.

"Do not speak my name ever again," she hissed dangerously, "Do not even _speak_ in my presence ever again."

"Heheheh, yeah? But I think I know some things that'd you'd love to hear me say…" Doflamingo continued slouching on the couch, not ruffled in the least, "Like where they've sent a certain Strawhat-wearing boy, for example…"

Boa Hancock leaned forward immediately, demanding "Speak!" almost at the exact same moment Sengoku ordered "Silence!"

"Oh~~ Who's orders should I obey? Since you both asked so nicely…Why not both?" Doflamingo smirked and waved his hand lazily.

"Mariejois!" The marine cadet stationed near the door suddenly shouted out. He immediately covered his mouth, looking shocked and horrified by his own action, but he still couldn't stop himself from shouting more words, "Tenryuubito! Slavery! Mariejois!"

Boa Hancock went completely motionless, as if turned to stone at the very spot she stood.

"Doflamingo! Stop!" Sengoku growled, but the devilish puppeteer merely gave him an innocent grin. "I didn't say anything, fuffuffuffu..."

Just as the Marine Supreme Commander was about to take drastic actions to subdue one of the Shichibukai, a quiet and somber voice interrupted.

"Is it true, Sengoku? Luffy's not in Impel Down?" Garp appeared at the doorway. His expression was shrouded by shadows but Sengoku did not need to see it to know that it was not a happy one. "You shipped my grandson off to be a slave?"

Between Garp's intimidating presence, Boa Hancock's disturbing lack of reaction and Doflamingo's blatant glee at bringing about the very situation, Sengoku felt compelled to sit down and sigh. Brilliant military tactician he may be, but he really did not want to deal with all this.

His prolonged silence seemed to be sufficient answer for Garp, who was already stalking away from the door.

"Garp! Where are you going?"

"I am going to bring back my grandson…and lock him up in Impel Down where he belongs," the Vice-admiral answered without looking back.

"Stop! I forbid you!" Sengoku shouted, but he was distracted by Boa Hancock, who had proceeded to leave as well, "And where do you think you're going, Empress?"

"Do not speak to me, vermin," her voice was cold enough to freeze hell twice over.

"Boa Hancock! If you take another step out, you'll be stripped of your Shichibukai status! Your people will lose their protection; you will all be exiled from the world government!"

"Fuffuffuffu~ You should listen to Sengoku, pretty little Empress. He's gonna get your little girly island and set fire to it. They call him the Great Buddha, but he's actually as ruthless as the worst of us," Doflamingo supplied helpfully.

The Kuja Empress' originally pale face had turned almost bone-white under their threats, but she remained composed and dignified. Only her slender shoulders registered the barest of trembles.

"I want to return to Amazon Lily immediately. I do not want to remain in this filthy place for another moment," she finally spoke, addressing Sengoku directly, "Surely, that is no reason to take away my Shichibukai status?"

"That…is reasonable," Sengoku was taken aback by her calmness, but also relieved, since he had been half-expecting her to re-enact what happened during the war and tear apart the place to rescue a certain pirate captain. "I will dispatch a ship to escort you back to your island as soon as possible."

"No, I want to leave _now_."

Though suspicious of her compliance, Sengoku was only all too ready to get her out of the way. Her request was granted in exchange for her agreement to wear seastone power restraints.

Later, as Boa Hancock headed out towards the marine vessel hurriedly readied for her departure, she could hear Sengoku's orders blaring from the den den mushi speakers all over the fort.

"Guards! Do not let vice-admiral Garp leave this island! I repeat, do _not_ let him leave Marineford. Use any means necessary!"

The war had already ended, but Marineford was once again in an uproar.

-

(Aboard the _Sea Wolf_)

-

Whitebeard's health had been steadily declining in recent years, but he had never appeared the least bit affected by it. The great pirate was not about to be brought down by a bit of aging. 'Weak' and 'sickly' were never words to be associated with him despite all the doctors' warnings.

At least, until now. Because now there was no other way to describe the pallor of his face and the laborious heaving of his broad chest. It seemed that Whitebeard's age had finally caught up with him and was punishing him for all the time he had ignored it.

"We're all here oyaji," Jozu whispered at his ears when he entered the room with Marco and Ace.

Of the 15 commanders, only 9 were able to gather around their fallen captain's bed. Some nodded to acknowledge Ace while others favoured him with a brief smile, but the atmosphere in the entire room remained unbearably tense and grim.

Whitebeard's heavy lids slowly lifted and he regarded all of them with solemn pride. He drew a deep breath and began speaking with an unfamiliar hoarseness to his usually loud and booming voice. But that characteristic note of authority and command had not been subdued.

"I've got something important to say, so you kids better listen close… We had a close call at Marineford and we're going to have a lot more of them in days to come. It's gonna get closer and closer and one day…that'd be it. I won't get no more calls."

A sharp murmur of protests and denials rang out among those gathered by his bed, but Whitebeard hushed them all with a single stern look.

"I know how you feel, but I want to talk facts. When you're my age you'll all find that time…Time is a more persistent and deadly enemy than any pirate or marine. So the fact is—I'm not going to be around forever. And when I go, I want you all to make the right choice. I don't care if you leave or stay, I just want you all to go where you want to.

"I'm a big tree that has lived a long life. I don't want to be crushing any promising young saplings when I go down. Especially you, my children. I hope I've created a home, a family, here for you all with the Whitebeard pirates. Not a prison."

Some of the commanders were in tears but others, like Ace, listened stoically. However, no one interrupted and all imprinted those words into their hearts.

"…As for now, I appoint Marco acting captain until the damn doctors let me out of this stupid bed. Now get out and do you're supposed to. The crew better be in shape when I'm up again," Whitebeard concluded his poignant speech gruffly.

As the commanders all exited unwilling, he added, "Ace, stay a while."

Obediently, Ace remained after the rest had left.

When they were alone in the room, surrounded only by beeping medical machinery and the strong smell of antiseptic, Whitebeard made Ace stand up and looked him over thoroughly. After the inspection, he smiled.

"You're well, I'm glad. Welcome back, son."

The tears came unbidden to Ace's eyes at those simple, heartfelt words. For the first time since he woke up in that safe, warm bed, Ace completely gave over to his torrid emotions.

"Oyaji, I—"

"About your brother," Whitebeard cut his words off, effectively putting the entire Marineford affair behind them. Ace stiffened immediately and wiped hastily at his eyes, "I hope you understand why Marco did what he did. What he made was a difficult decision…and though you and I may not approve of it, it was also a necessary one."

"I don't blame Marco," Ace said, "Luffy's _my_ brother. I should have been the one to protect him."

"Marco was stuck between a rock and a hard place, who can blame him for choosing one or another? For the matter, who can blame you? Such are the choices life gives us..." Whitebeard's narrowed his eyes and looked pointedly at his subordinate, "I suppose you will now choose to leave us and find him?"

"…yes," Ace bowed his head, "I'm sorry, oyaji."

"What are you apologising for? We are the ones who should be sorry. Sorry for not being able to help your brother, sorry for leaving him behind and saving our own sorry asses. Ace, the boy is as much our responsibility as yours."

"Oyaji…"

"As I said just now… Go where you want to go, my child," the great pirate looked at Ace's speechless, anxious face and chuckled lowly, "Don't look at me like that. I'm not going to die so soon…I'm not the Pirate King yet. Now go tell your little brother he's still got serious competition for the position."

"Yes sir," Ace replied with a genuine smile as he slipped silently out.

-

Marco was waiting for him in the ship hold. Beside him rested one of Ace's personal flame-powered speed boats.

"A relic of the Moby-dick," the first-division captain shrugged upon seeing Ace's expression of surprise, "I saved it for you, in case anything happened to her…lucky I did, huh?"

"Thank you," Ace answered with sincerity. When he reached out to take it, Marco blocked his hand.

"Look, I know nothing I say will matter at this moment…but just listen, ok?" the other man spoke urgently, desperately, "The news just came in. Your brother wasn't taken to Impel Down. He's been sent to Mariejois. _Mariejois_. You know what that means as well as I do."

Ace's eyes had darkened and his fists had begun to smoulder. He understood what it meant. There was only one possible fate for a captive in Mariejois: Slavery.

"You shouldn't do this alone. Wait just a while. Two weeks, no, one. One week is enough. We'll go with you; we'll bring him back. I promise you."

"Thank you, Marco," Ace answered just as sincerely. But there was a note of finality to his words that Marco detected and understood immediately from their years of camaraderie. Slowly, he lowered his arm and allowed Ace to pick up his speed boat.

"Mariejois. Those _bastards_." Marco closed his eyes and leaned back against the ship wall, not wanting to see Ace leave again so shortly after his difficult return, "We'll join you soon, Ace. Be safe."

.

.

.

TBC


	4. They meet

**Warning: **The Mariejois in this story is **totally** **AU**. I wanted to base it on biblical New Jerusalem…but I got over-excited and made it too complicated orz

**A/N:** Once again, thanks for all reviews. Um, I don't have a habit of responding (I might give my own spoilers XP), but do tell me if you'd really like an answer.

Just to clarify the slavery thing. That's all because of St. Rosward's words in Chap 503: "The women, I shall have stuffed…and the men, I will put hard to work as slaves, with no food!" I thought it had interesting implications. Anyway, Luffy's not being sold. He's basically being handed over to the Tenryuubito instead of the proper judicial system, all of which is very corrupt and deplorable etc. Dragon will elaborate below.

**Disclaimer:** This is all respectfully borrowed from Oda's genius.

* * *

**  
Chapter 3**

-

(Mangrove 65, _Shabondy_)

-

It was that ambiguous hour of the day when day fades into night. The sky was a patchwork of purple, red and fiery orange. Shadows lengthened as darkness crept across the land. In a particularly dark alleyway, lurked a particularly motley crew.

The Strawhat crew were surveying the grounds and preparing to execute the first stage of their plan. From their position, they had a clear view of the habour and its steadily decreasing activity as people packed up after a day's work. Undisputedly, the most glaring element within sight was the humongous Marine vessels docked directly before them. It was a constant reminder that they were currently in the Shabondy Marine HQ zone.

"So basically," Nami was whispering impatiently, trying for the third time to explain the plan to the more thick-headed ones in their crew, "Zoro goes up to the dock, causes some trouble, gets arrested and is taken to Impel Down. The rest of us infiltrate the ship and follow it there. Simple enough? Understood?"

While everyone else nodded and seemed perfectly satisfied, Zoro bared his teeth and growled, "NO."

"Seriously, how many times do I have to explain it to you?" the navigator huffed.

"What I don't understand is—Why the hell _me_?"

"Isn't that obvious? You're the one with the highest bounty, so they won't dare to keep you around. You're not a fruit user, so you won't be affected by seastone cuffs. And you're actually recognisable from your bounty poster which, oddly enough, is a problem for some of us."

"But there's Franky," Zoro was not about to give in.

"Franky's our back-up plan," Nami was also not about to let him off.

"Yeah, I got this new underwater mode installed in Karakuri. I could try to detach the Marine ship's anti-sea king seastone device and attach it to Sunny," Franky mused, rubbing his metallic chin thoughtfully, "We'd probably be able to at least get though the calm belt—though the Gate of Justice would be a problem—if you screw up."

"Not that you will. Right, Zoro?" Nami smiled her special smile of the financially-empowered, "You still owe me 200 000 beri."

"Damn it! Did you increase my debt again?"

"Interest," she shrugged, "Time is money."

"All right, Zoro," Usopp said solemnly, patting the swordsman on the back, "Go for it! I'll be right here backing you up."

"That's no help at all!"

"Just get on with it, marimo."

"Why don't you do it, idiot cook!"

"I would if I had a decent photograph on that shitty bounty poster!"

"It totally looks like you anyway!"

"What did you say?!!"

"Shut up! Both of you!" Nami kicked them both in the shins, silencing the escalating fight, "Do you want us all to be caught?"

At that moment, someone coughed.

The Strawhats all turned slowly to see a tall dark silhouette outlined against the setting sun, blocking the exit of the alleyway. Then there was a sudden burst of heat and light, momentarily blinding them.

"HIYAAAAA! The Marines have found us! Everyone run for it!" Usopp shrieked frantically, flinging his arms up and stumbling halfway down the alleyway.

"Nooooo!" Chopper screamed, following the sharpshooter without a second thought.

They would probably have given away their location to any passing Marine a hundred times over if Robin's hands had not sprouted out in time to muffle any further exclamations. Shocked and terrified, Usopp tripped over his own feet and crumpled to the ground. Chopper soon tumbled down onto him.

Warily, they managed to get a better look at the man blocking the head of the alleyway. The bright burst of light had softened to a moderate flame, flaring directly from the newcomer's fingers and illuminating his freckled face. On his head rested a familiar strawhat.

"…Ace!"

-

(Shakky's Rip-off Bar, _Shabondy_)

-

The Strawhat crew sat in grim silence as they digested what Ace had just told them. Even Buggy, who had been tied up and left in a corner, was keeping respectfully quiet. He doubts anyone would want to draw their attention at the moment because the looks on their faces were frankly bone-chilling. Robin's eyes were completely frigid while Zoro's veins stood out almost purple against his skin.

"It's really great to see you Ace, but _how_ did you find us?" Usopp broke the silence nervously. It had been an extremely timely meeting, saving them from going on a terrible wild sheep's chase.

"Actually, I never intended to," Ace answered with a shrug, "I only stopped at Shabondy to get my boat coated, but I met…Silvers Rayleigh at the workshop and he told me about you guys." Everyone noted but no one commented on his unnatural pause at the mention of the Dark King's name. News of Ace's heritage had spread as quickly as that of Luffy's capture.

"Get you boat coated?" Nami asked curiously.

"That's because…hmm, how much do you know about Mariejois?" Ace questioned in return. When it became clear that only Robin had the appropriate knowledge, he began his explanation with an outline of the city's layout.

The Holy Capital consists of 4 distinct sectors, set out layer by layer in a series of concentric circles. The first is open to the public; the second is where the servant, slaves and distant relations of the Tenryuubito stay; the third is where the world nobles themselves dwell and; at the very centre, is the World Government HQ.

Each layer is fortified and separated by thick walls, guarded by elite royal guards and accessible only via the 7 great gates: Two opposing each other at the first 3 walls and only one at the last. As the first layer is open to the public and the royal guards do not care much for doing the Marines' job for them, even pirates are usually able to enter the outer gates if they're quiet and well-behaved about it.

"…Nevertheless, the security has been extremely heavy ever since the Fisher Tiger incident," Ace informed his attentive listeners, "The thing is, the first wall goes all the way around the city's harbours. So the outer gates both lie out at sea. The Jasper Gate here and the Sapphire Gate on the other side of the Red Line, in the New World.

"I'm not going to be able to just slip in unnoticed, not after...the war and I can't afford to start a fight at sea, so I came to get my boat coated."

Nami gasped, realising what it all meant. "You want to go under it! Under the Jasper Gate!"

Ace nodded in approval of her quick response, "If a ship surfaces at the right point along the underwater Fishman Island route, it could end up just behind the Jasper Gate."

"But how? And wouldn't you be spotted the moment you surface?"

"…Perhaps. But the Mariejois port operates the largest used ships market in the world. You know, because the only way to proceed across the Red Line is to leave your ship behind and get one on the other side. So there's this huge ship yard full of abandoned ships and boats…"

"A perfect cover," Sanji murmured, putting out his cigarette and lighting up another one.

"It's risky but the best bet we—I have," Ace corrected himself awkwardly, "About that…I came to ask if you guys…you'll go, won't you?"

The Strawhat crew all looked at him with raised eyebrows, an unanimous wordless reply of '_what do you think_?'. Taking in their dry looks, his serious expression lightened up into a warm smile.

"Ok, dumb question. I get it," the fire user spoke more candidly than before, "Cause my boat would take another few hours to coat, but yours is already done. The next underwater current to Fishman Island is due within the hour. If we catch it, we can reach Mariejois within the night."

"What are we waiting for then? Let's go," Zoro stood up and walked out the bar without another word.

"… … Oi Zoro! You're going the wrong way!"

-

(Revolutionary HQ, _Paladego_)

-

A tall, dark man stood silently in the middle of a vast and hectic room. Maps and reports were strewn everywhere: Across the table tops, pinned up on the walls, even littering the floor. People milled restlessly here and there; deciphering codes, discussing plans and bringing in the latest news.

"Commander Riza is on his way to back up Commander Wakama. They will be intercepting the ship carrying Commander Ivankov and Inazuma tomorrow!"

"The Sakura Kingdom of Drum Island has agreed to maintain neutrality! Their army will not interfere when we take action."

"All West Blue forces have returned to their stations, awaiting your instructions!"

It was uncertain if the man at the centre of the room was listening. He seemed absorbed in his own thoughts, completely unaffected by the hustle and bustle all around. Nevertheless, his silence and stillness—in fact, his mere presence—was a powerful one. There was a quiet but intense energy about him, like a leopard waiting to spring, muscles all tightly-coiled and eager for the kill.

"Mugiwara Luffy has arrived in Mariejois!"

Dragon, the man standing silently in the middle of the Revolutionary Headquarters, also the most wanted man in the world, suddenly smiled. It was not a pleasant smile, but a ferocious and mirthless one. It sent cold shivers down the spines of every single hardened revolutionary in the room. They stopped all activities and looked at him expectantly.

"It is time," he pronounced lowly.

There was a collective intake of breath; then the feverish clamour began again, louder and more agitated than before. Some reacted with wild excitement, others with cool efficiency…but there were also those who did not react positively. After all, the Revolutionaries were people who dare to dissent.

"No, sir, it's too early!" some boldly voiced their disapproval, "The time isn't right!"

"Not right?" Dragon shook his head and smirked, as if amused by their words, "The time has never been more right! Marineford severely damaged by the war, Impel Down reeling from the biggest breakout in history, Enies Lobby annihilated by their very own buster call. Are we to give them time to rebuild and recover? If not now, then _when_?"

"But we, we're not ready! We've hardly begin to move in on North Blue," a few still protested, albeit weakly.

Dragon's smirk did not falter, "When the head falls, the body will follow. Remember what our target is. It is not North Blue, nor South Blue; it is Mariejois."

Then he paused, as if considering his next words carefully. When he began speaking again, it was in utter seriousness. He was no longer smiling; instead, his mouth was set in a firm and resolute line and his eyes were burning with feverish fervour.

"We are ready. We have been ready for some time now. But we have been bidding our time and waiting…For what?"

No one answered, but Dragon was not looking for an answer.

"We've been waiting for a reason. A reason that will help us unmask the corrupt and worm-ridden interior of the World Government. A reason like this— A young, impudent hero personally captured and delivered by the Marines for the amusement of the Tenryuubito. And ignoring all his other offences, it was all because he dared to give them the beating they had a long time coming! No trial, no jail term, no execution…Just a secret and dirty transfer, right into the heart of Holy Mariejois itself.

"The big question is—how many others had a fate like his? How many others had been and will be given away, assassinated or outright massacred? This is only one case, but it speaks for countless others. For if the law enforcers themselves do not follow the law, then there is no law—Only oppression. After all…Who governs the World Government?

"Ah yes, they claim to be absolute justice…Ha! Justice? There is _no_ justice so long as the World Government's tyranny continues and the Marines operate no better than black market slave traders. There is _no_ justice so long as those who dare to stand up for themselves are crushed beneath the feet of those so-called world nobles— nothing but old world scum in need of cleaning up! No, there can be _no_ justice so long as Mariejois still stands!"

Abruptly, the Revolutionary Leader stopped talking. However, there was only a brief moment of stunned silence before everyone in the room roared out their approval. Impassioned by his words and with their revolutionary fire fueled, there were no more dissidents, only zealous and fearless cadets.

Dragon took a few seconds to compose himself. He had become increasingly emotional as he spoke, an extremely rare occurrence, causing him to terminate his speech quite bluntly. But upon recovering his usual cool, he raised his hand and immediately regained everyone's attention.

"Now, are you ready to change the course of history?" he asked.

"YES!!!!" they answered in a mighty cry.

After giving out instructions to prepare for the massive operation ahead, Dragon walked out onto the balcony alone. He grinned darkly as he looked out straight ahead, towards Mariejois.

"Well done, Monkey D. Luffy... ...my son."

Outside, a storm was raging through the barren island. The winds howled louder than a thousand legions of men, threatening to tear through anything in its path had there been anything upon this empty wasteland.

There was only one spot of calm, in the eye of the storm. Here, the Revolution began.

.

.

.

TBC


	5. They journey

**A/N:** Thank you for reviews! They really do give me motivation to update.

Story proper is finally starting! I hope everyone realise that the chapters haven't really been in chronological order. Anyway, here's the first OC. There'll only be 3 major OCs in this story and she's one of them. Don't be too harsh on them, they're only plot devices.

**Disclaimer:** This is all respectfully borrowed from Oda's genius.

* * *

**  
Chapter 4  
**

-

Aboard the _Thousand_ _Sunny_

-

The world around them was pitch-black. Night had already fallen when they left the archipelago, but there had been a crescent moon shining coldly in the murky sky, reflecting off the clear resin coating even as they plunged headfirst into the churning whirlpool. However, not a single ray of that silver light had been able to penetrate into the dark waters all around them now.

"My coating's first class, it won't disintegrate till you're miles out in the New World," The Dark King Rayleigh told them before he sent them off. He looked at them knowingly and slipped them a special resin drill with a twinkle in his eyes, "So you're going to need this if you want to get out of the current before Fishman Island. You can return it to me next time you come to get your ship coated."

An unnatural stillness had settled over the ship now that there was no wind and no waves. Trapped within this perfectly dark and silent bubble, the Strawhat crew scattered about the ship, each engaged in their own preparations.

Though they went about their activities almost as per normal, there was an unspoken tension in the air. The discordant notes of Brook's violin lingered uneasily as he tuned it. Usopp muttered incoherent worries as he carefully mixed chemicals and sorted through dials. Even the rhythm with which Zoro polished his swords seemed vexed and restless.

So smoothly were the currents bringing the ship along, it might as well have been stationary. But Nami knew clearly that they were moving at a steady pace and will reach the edge of the Red Line within hours. She sat within her cabin, tensely calculating and recalculating the timing and coordinates for their infiltration by the light of a flickering lamp.

Although she had obtained all the necessary statistics from Shakky and Rayleigh before they embarked on this journey, there will always be many elements of unpredictability in the ocean. The shipyard lying between the Red Line and the Jasper Gate was the largest in the whole world, but with the number of variables involved, the task of allowing the Sunny-Go to emerge neatly within it was as delicate and difficult as shooting an arrow through a needle head.

Ace sat on the deck, looking out into the liquid darkness. He was awake but barely moving, conserving his energy for the great rescue ahead. But his senses were still sufficiently alert to notice a slight quivering of the grass beneath him. Sitting up straight, brows furrowing, Ace surveyed the vicinity sharply but found nothing out of the ordinary.

Then a breeze had started out of nowhere, stirring up the dirt and sand upon the grassy deck. This abnormal wind grew stronger and stronger, forming a small tornado of sand that ripped up patches of the lawn. The commotion soon caused the Strawhat crew to rush out of their cabins with varied expressions of alarm and fear.

They were on a sealed, water-proof ship in the middle of the sea; they were prepared to invade one of the greatest forts in the world in mere hours, but wholly unprepared for a sudden attack within their own home base. Swiftly adopting a defensive formation, they watched warily as the miniature sand storm solidified into an unpleasantly familiar figure…complete with slicked-back hair and lush, heavy fur coat.

"We meet again, trash." Crocodile greeted with a malicious grin.

-

Aboard _Marine Vessel_ _29_

-

Luffy was compelled into coherency by the sound of a low rumbling, like distant thunder or a very hungry beast…_Hungry_? Gradually but surely, Luffy regained enough lucidity to figure out that he had been woken up by the sound of his stomach growling. This finding was made easier by the fact that all his pain and aches and fatigue were being overwhelmed by that one extremely acute sensation of hunger.

He wanted to call out for Sanji or Zoro or anyone who might be able to give him something to eat, preferably meat, but his throat was dry and inflamed. He couldn't manage anything more than some hoarse, barely audible croaking. Undeterred, he resolved to get up and go find his own food. All his muscles screamed in protest, suffering from even the slightest movement, but in his one-tracked famished fixation, Luffy had managed to push himself up and out of the bed before the terrible pain even registered.

Luffy finally realised that he probably wasn't supposed to be out of bed yet when his legs gave out immediately upon touching the ground and he tumbled down, unable to support himself. Though the haze of his agony, he also finally noticed that he was almost entirely covered in fresh, white bandages. However, red stains were already beginning to seep across the clean cloth covering his legs. It seemed that the previous fall had opened some wounds. Normally, Chopper would be here to reprimand him and fuss over him by now, but his furry companion was nowhere in sight.

Nevertheless, Luffy had a more urgent concern at hand—that of obtaining some food, preferably meat. Not one to be bothered by some bleeding and residue lactic acid, he ignored his uncooperative, abused body and dragged himself up using the chair beside his bed and sheer will power alone. Leaning against the wall, he gritted his teeth and inched slowly towards the door. Hopefully, he'd meet one of his crew and wouldn't have to go all the way to the kitchen, since the more he forced himself along, the more it hurt.

Unfortunately, the first persons he met when he finally managed to open the door were two extremely startled marines. There was a moment of frozen shock where they all stared at each other with widened eyes, then Luffy recovered and tried to make a break for it. He barely ran two steps before collapsing again. By then, the marines had also reacted.

Gathering all his strength, Luffy punched out at them. To his great surprise, his arm could barely stretch and the attack didn't even manage to reach the approaching enemy. Feeling a sudden sense of dread, Luffy tried once again to stretch out his arm and pull himself to safety. But his arm fell short of target, snapping back rapidly with a horrible crack. The pain of the backlash from trying to use his power almost caused him to black out.

"Why is he up? Why is he able to walk?" one of the marine was asking the other in panic as they came forward to subdue the momentarily stunned convict.

"I have no idea! You grab his arms, I'll get his—Careful!" the other shouted in warning because Luffy suddenly whipped out another attack. It glanced past the shocked marine, close enough for him to feel the force of it and be thankful that it didn't land on target. The rookie pirate was down but not out, and apparently not about to surrender without a fight.

"Damn it! He shouldn't even be awake yet! What a monster!" the marine swore as he tried to wrestle the struggling pirate down, "Call for back-up!"

Normally, an ordinary marine cadet wouldn't have lasted even a couple of seconds against him, but Luffy's body had all but given up on him after the recent bouts of near-death experiences, adrenaline injections and less than 2 days of rest. Furthermore he was really _hungry_.

But even in this state, 2 perfectly healthy marines were still having troubles holding him down. Finally, one of them managed to grab his head and slam it down on the floor, temporarily disabling him.

"What the _hell_ are you doing to my patient?" Heavy boots clomped rapidly towards them and an irritated woman's voice rang out. The marines looked up to answer, but were easily lifted and flung away from Luffy by a tall and obviously strong newcomer.

"What are we doing? Trying to clear up your mess, obviously!" the shorter of the marines immediately growled, "You were the one who insisted on removing his sea stone restraints! How are you going to answer to the Admiral if he escapes?"

"It's not my problem that you're weak," the newcomer, a woman dressed in full military wear and a doctor's coat, sneered back with equal menace, "My job is to treat him. _Yours_ is to guard him."

"You told us he wouldn't wake for at least 3 days. It's hardly been 2!"

"What of it? That just means I'm doing a damn good job," she retorted, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to have to patch up all the damage you caused." She walked over to the fallen Luffy and lifted him up with slim arms that were much stronger than they looked. She frowned when she saw that almost all his initially clean bandages were now bloodied due to the scuffle.

"Not until I've put seastone cuffs back on him!" the displeased marine tried to stop her.

"Look, I've already told you. Contact with Seastone severely impedes a devil fruit user's ability to recuperate. So stop bothering me unless you want to deliver the Tenryuubito dead goods," she shoved past him, nonchalantly carrying her patient back into the room.

"That's why I hate working with inhuman freaks," the marine grumbled to his companion.

The medic officer stopped in her tracks, turning to face him with narrowed eyes. "You have a problem with my…species?"

"Hmph, I don't know why they even allowed you into the Marines. You should just go back to your swamp, mudskipper!" the marine had more unpleasant things to say, but he was stopped by his partner, who silenced him with a smack. "I'm sorry, Dr. Beatta," the other man apologised, "This idiot's just a small-minded conservative bumpkin. The rest of us don't have anything against your eh, heritage."

She didn't reply, but her expression was hard and brittle.

"Bloody mudskipper! Don't get above yourself!" the shorter marine spat at her, ignoring his partner's disapproval. She gave him a haughty and unimpressed look, then slammed the door in his face.

"Look, she's our only ship doctor. If you don't want to die from some paper-cut infection, you better show her some respect! Next time, keep your prejudices to yourself," the rebukes of the other marine could still be heard. The doctor unceremoniously dumped Luffy back on the bed and went to also slam the windows shut, cutting off all outside noises.

Luffy had come to sometime during the quarrel. He struggled up into a sitting position and observed the doctor curiously as she bustled about the room, preparing medication, salve and rolls of bandages.

She's a tall woman, taller than him…but so were Robin and Hancock. Like them, she had a slender, lanky form, though her figure was mostly concealed by the baggy doctor's coat. Her features were altogether too sharp to be considered pretty, but she was most certainly striking to look upon. And her most striking aspect must be her hair; a striped mixture of bright orange and red that flared out about her face like a lion's mane, as fierce and wild as her person.

Seeing that he had regained consciousness, she poured him a glass of water and went back to her work. She didn't seem scared or cautious of him as the other marines were, but Luffy wasn't sure if that was because of her knowledge of his weakness or confidence in her own strength.

"W-where's Ace?" he was able to croak out after drinking the water, "Where am I? Where's my hat? Is there anything to eat? How's Ace? Is he ok?"

"Shut up and don't move," she snapped at him, ignoring his string of questions. Delicately and professionally, she began to remove his stained bandages and efficiently cleaned his wounds.

"Fire-fist Ace is not your concern. You are under arrest and being transported to Mariejois for your judgment," She spoke officiously, without any emotion. "Although I've requested for your seastone restraints to be removed, the full set will be put back on if you attempt escape again."

"Who are you?" Luffy blinked up at her, as if only realising now that the lady tending to him was actually also a _marine_, "Is your name Mudskipper?"

Her hands slipped, accidently tearing the wound she was treating and causing the pirate to wince. "Um, sorry?" he apologised uncertainly, not knowing what he did wrong but sensing her displeasure.

"Mudskipper isn't my name," she returned swiftly to her bandaging work, though perhaps with a bit more vehemence than before, "It's what people call my kind."

"Your kind?"

"People say we don't belong on land or in water. Our only place is in the mud," she explained with clinical detachment, as if the words did not concern her personally. Then she paused to brush back her wild, flame-coloured hair and reveal the long gash-like gills on her neck. "Now you understand?"

"Ah…" Luffy frowned in concentration then nodded to express his comprehension, "…You're a mysterious mud creature."

"NO," the doctor's hand almost slipped again, but her knitted brows loosened as she took in his earnest expression. She chuckled, shaking her head, "You really don't know... You're not very smart are you?"

"You're rude," Luffy admonished her. She laughed at his pout.

The dark-haired boy tilted his head, awaiting further explanation. There was a long pause before the doctor spoke again. "My father is a fishman, my mother is human. I'm neither man nor fish…I'm a godforsaken mudskipper," she told him with a grim smile that was almost a grimace, completely devoid of the earlier joviality, "Clear enough now?"

"Ooooh, that's really cool! What type of fishman? Are you strong?" Luffy asked with glittering eyes.

She looked at him in disbelief and spoke slowly, emphasising each word bitterly. "It's not cool. It's unnatural. I'm _unnatural_."

"Nah, I think you're awesome! Wanna join my crew?" Luffy brushed off her words with an easy grin, "Though we already have a doctor. He's this really cute reindeer that looks like a tanuki. But you can swim right? He's useless in water! You can be our underwater doctor hahaha!"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm a marine medic. Do you usually go about trying to recruit government agents? No wonder you've been arrested," she reproached his offer, but the smile was back in her eyes and at the corners of her lips. "Though that reindeer doctor of yours does sound intriguing."

"Yeah, I found him on Drum Island. He's a great doctor!" Luffy told her enthusiastically, "I've also got a shipwright that's a robot, a musician that's a skeleton, a liar that's got a really long nose…" He's good cheer rapidly deflated as he spoke about his crew mates. He trailed off, looking depressed.

"Sounds like fun. You have a really interesting crew," she tried awkwardly to comfort him, assuming that he was upset about being captured and taken away from all his comrades.

"I didn't even try to find them. I told them to wait a while…because I had to go save Ace…" he plucked at his new bandages, but the doctor stopped him.

"Well, you did manage a miracle," she informed him dryly, "You effectuated Fire-fist Ace's escape."

"Ace is ok?" Luffy perked up immediately.

"Better than you at least," she smiled, perhaps more gently than she realised.

"And the rest?"

"Most escaped, but I think some—a couple of Shichibukai, an okama queen or something— tried to save you and also got captured."

"What about my hat?"

"I don't know about that." Unconsciously, the doctor was answering all the questions that she had earlier refused to. It was almost uncanny how quickly he had managed to slip under her tough and crabby shell. But there was just something endearing and undeniably likeable about this pirate boy.

"What's your name?"

"...Leo Beatta."

"Thank you for looking after me, Leo! I'm Luffy!" he grinned widely at her. "Can you get me something to eat?" he looked at her imploringly with big, honest eyes.

With a sigh, she finished dressing the rest of his wounds and gathered up the dirtied items.

"Don't do anything stupid," she warned before stepping out and meeting the sullen looks of the Marine guards at the door.

"Can I have meat please? Meat!"

.

.

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TBC


	6. He resists

**A/N:** As always, I appreciate all reviews! Chap 571 was just _amazing_! Unfortunately, this chapter is just one very dull scene which turned out longer than expected. So Crocodile will have to wait. Btw, I personally think that the Tenryuubito don't eat devil fruits cause it's considered cursed, but I needed a decent nemesis. So for expediency's sake… OC with uncreative powers.

Tommyboy: He's commonly known as Mugiwara. 1. Crew and others; 2. He's under arrest; 3. Mariejoa

Reikson: Sorry, I still can't answer you. I'm saving that for much much later.

**Disclaimer:** This is all respectfully borrowed from Oda's genius.

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**  
Chapter 5**

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The 11th House, _Mariejoa_

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It was often said that the third layer of Mariejoa—where the Tenryuubito live—was built in the image of the legendary Gold City of Shandora, as a vision of heaven on earth. There, guarded jealously within the Jacinth and Amethyst Gates, the streets were rumoured to be paved with gold and the buildings studded with precious stones. But few had ever been allowed within these gates and even fewer ever come back out. The tales of gold were never confirmed or dispelled.

However, there is always a certain degree of truth in rumours. The streets of Mariejoa were not paved with gold. Not even the vast resources and unlimited power of the World Government would have been able to achieve such extravagance. But in the glorious light of the setting sun, it might as well be—because the palaces and streets were constructed from Fiverglas, a synthetic material as clear as glass and tough as granite, restricted for use only within this holy site.

The crystal clear walls reflected the dying sunlight with a dazzling brilliance. Everything in sight seemed to glow with a gilded opulence and luxury. Luffy squinted as he was brought along the palatial corridors, trying hard but barely able to see through the absurd aureate shine. He was escorted by a small convoy of four Marines, including Dr. Beatta and Admiral Kizaru himself.

Along the way, Luffy asked many questions like 'what's going on', 'why's everything so shiny', but he was mostly ignored. Only Admiral Kizaru chuckled good-naturedly and advised him to shut his mouth when they approached a huge pair of sleek golden doors.

Upon entering, the doors closed swiftly and ominously behind them. Finally shielded from the city's excessive luminescence, Luffy widened his watery eyes and looked around curiously. It was much cooler and dimmer than outside, illuminated only by gaps strategically opened in heavy tapestries that covered the Fiverglas walls. The Marines had brought him into a large, spacious hall; with high walls that rose loftily all the way up to a domed ceiling, beautifully painted with images of heavenly realms.

Impeccably dressed Tenryuubito were seated on elevated platforms along both sides, shrouded in shadows and indistinguishable from each other. At the very end of the hall was a single empty throne, lined with white fur and raised more than four man's height from the ground.

"Right…Here he is," Admiral Kizaru guided Luffy into the centre of the hall, "The brat from Shabondy, Mugiwara Luffy… Can I go now?"

A murmur spread through the Tenryuubito as they observed the delivered captive. Then a supremely arrogant voice cut in cheerfully.

"I haven't seen your ugly mug for some time, Borsalino. Why so eager to leave?"

The voice came from far above, somewhere near the ceiling, and echoed down across the hall. Luffy gaped up as it became obvious that the owner of the voice was indeed descending from above.

The speaker was sauntering leisurely downwards; stepping steadily on thin air like it was solid steps. It seemed as if he had walked right out from the celestial painting adorning the dome. As he approached, it became clear that he looked as arrogant as his voice suggested, with frosty eyes and lips that were set somewhere between a sneer and a smirk. He wore the traditional kimono-cut robes of the Tenryuubito, black instead of the usual white, with a gold-embroidered black cape over it.

"Ah… St. Zephyrus," the Admiral acknowledged dryly, with a slight incline of his head.

"Is that how you greet one of the Lords of the 20 Houses?" The Tenryuubito asked as he settled himself comfortably into the high throne. He leaned back into the fur and rested his chin on steepled fingers, regarding Admiral Kizaru dismissively through lowered lids. "You should all be kneeling. I ought to send you to the Inquisition for re-education."

"Hmm, I'm afraid I'm terribly busy at the moment…Admiral duties and all," the Admiral replied conversationally, with a shrug and pointed emphasis on the word '_Admiral'_. St. Zephyrus laughed, "So you always tell me."

As these two powerful men bantered, the rest of the hall kept respectfully quiet. Only Luffy was completely unconcerned. He had taken the opportunity to sit down. The newly attached seastone cuffs were rapidly draining his already lacking strength and he was getting bored.

His overly relaxed manner caught the Tenryuubito's attention.

"Is this the ill-mannered creature that you were complaining about, Shalulia?" St. Zephyrus enquired carelessly over his shoulder.

"Yes, dearest cousin! That's the beastly little thing that dared lay hands on Charloss!" The tawny-haired girl hissed as she stepped out from the shadowed platforms. Her brother, with about half his head still covered in bandaged and unable to speak, nodded furiously in agreement.

"Funny, from the way you were going on about him, I was expecting some terrible monster," St. Zephyrus drawled, "But it's only a kid. And a half-dead one at that…Really, Borsalino, how many times do we have to tell you gorillas to leave off the bruising? We prefer to do it _personally_."

Admiral Kizaru shrugged again, "He was…quite a handful."

The Tenryuubito looked skeptically at the skinny, captive pirate…who appeared to have dozed off. Arching an elegant eyebrow, he lifted a finger.

Almost immediately, Luffy awoke with a start, clawing at his neck and struggling like a fish out of water. St. Zephyrus slowly lowered his finger when the pirate's face began to turn blue. In response, Luffy collapsed onto the floor, gasping in deep breaths and trembling all over.

Behind him, Admiral Kizaru discretely placed his hand on the livid Dr. Beatta's shoulder, holding her back from doing something she'll regret.

"What did you do that for, you Tenryuu bastard!" Luffy, still panting, was already up and ready for a fight. "Are you the boss around here? What do you want?"

St. Zephyrus tapped his chin thoughtfully and answered, "You don't seem to be aware of your situation. You should know that you're a slave now."

"Slave?" Luffy repeated the word in confusion and disgust, "What are you talking about? If you won't let me go, then let's fight! I need to get back to my nakama!"

"My my, that tone is completely unacceptable," the Tenryuubito Lord shook his head admonishingly. He lifted his finger again, but Luffy was prepared for it this time. He stood his ground firmly and glared up at the other even as the oxygen deprivation started causing him to see black spots. "Let…m-me…go," he gritted out before the world began to fade out of focus.

"No! Please stop!" an urgent, feminine voice cut through the impending darkness. Luffy felt slender arms supporting him as the air rushed back into his body. Blurrily, he saw Leo's pinched anxious face somewhere above him. She had ignored all good sense and stepped out to save him.

"What's this?" St. Zephyrus blinked in exaggerated surprise, "A Marine defending a pirate? Do you know what you're doing, doctor?"

Leo had broken out into cold sweat the moment she realised what she had done. Standing up to a Tenryuubito Lord. In the middle of his territory. It wasn't a matter of whether she's going to die now, it was only a matter of _how_. All those years of hard work and suffering, discrimination and hatred—all about to end because she couldn't bear to watch some idiot pirate suffocate and die!

But in that split moment when her fear almost overtook her reason, she felt a light pat on her arm and looked down to see the source of all her troubles grinning weakly up at her and mouthing "Thanks."

_How…how can he still smile?_

Nevertheless, it was inexplicably reassuring and encouraging.

Gathering up all her courage, she spoke as professionally as she could, "The criminal had just come out of critical conditions two days ago, his conditions are now stable but even temporary asphyxia is sufficient to kill him. As his attending medic, I advise against any extreme treatment within the next 5 days…or your honour would run the risk of contravening Article 9 of the World Code providing against executions with trials."

"The World Code, doctor?" St. Zephyrus's words were full of sarcasm and disdain, "You know, my father is one of the Gorousei and he'd never bothered with it…do you know why?"

Leo did not answer. _I'm acting according to protocol_, she reasoned with detached coolness she didn't actually feel, _I'm a full-time employee of the Marines under the charge of Admiral Kizaru. Not even a Tenryuubito can touch me without cause. _He_ can't touch me._

"Because it doesn't apply to us," The noble finished simply. He snapped his fingers sharply and ordered, "Collar."

A royal guard, hooded and masked, with the signa of the flying dragon imprinted along his shoulders came out from the shadows behind his throne and, brushing aside his attempt at resistance, snapped a slave collar onto Luffy's neck.

"Hoof."

Another royal guard came out, this time holding a branding iron that was glowing red-hot. Leo's grip on Luffy tightened as he approached.

Suddenly, Luffy broke out of her hold, bolting forward with an impossible burst of energy. The Tenryuubito seated all around shrunk back with horrified gasps, but he was aiming only for the man on the throne. He even managed to get past the surprised guard and leap up towards his target when, just as suddenly, he slammed forcibly into an invisible wall mid-air.

With a flick of his finger, St. Zephyrus had Luffy dangling helplessly in the air. "Hoof," he ordered again.

The royal guard approached without hesitation, drawing back the branding iron and jabbing it mercilessly at the captive pirate's back. Luffy screamed—not in fear or pain, but in pure fury and frustration.

There was a sizzling sound as the red-hot iron contacted its target, the pungent smell of burnt bandages, then Leo lunging forward and violently knocking the guard away from his victim.

The branding iron, dropped by its tackled wielder, clattered harmlessly onto the ground, leaving only the smell of smoke and ashes lingering in the air…

"There you go," St. Zephyrus announced with malicious delight, "She's gone and done it."

Admiral Kizaru walked up briskly and pulled his subordinate off the royal guard and up from the floor. For once, the relaxed and nonchalant man's constant cool was ruffled. "This is going to be messy…" he sighed, looking both annoyed and troubled.

"If you don't mind, _Admiral_. She just attacked a Royal Guard. I have every right to do some disciplining," the Tenryuubito informed the Admiral smugly, "But don't worry. There won't be any cruel or unusual punishment. I'll just have her…entertain my pet."

He raised his hand; the tapestry behind him lifted up smoothly, revealing another chamber beyond the domed hall. Except…it was not so much a chamber as a _cage_. Within it, prowling silently just behind a clear Fiverglas wall, was a grotesque creature with the scaled, dark purple body of a lion and nine serpentine heads.

A Hydra.

It was humongous, almost the size of a giant. Each putrid yellow eye was the size of a human head and they were now all fixed unblinkingly on Leo.

"I'm not going to let you just murder my subordinate," Admiral Kizaru frowned at the beast then at its master.

"Oh, Princess won't hurt her. My lovely pet is gentle and sweet, isn't it?" St. Zephyrus turned to the other Tenryuubito beseechingly. They chorused weakly in agreement.

"Look, I'll have her court-martialled or something—"

"_Enough_." The noble pronounced coldly. A group of royal guards swiftly surrounded the Admiral, politely but firmly trapping him within their formation. The disgruntled Admiral fell silent, though his expression darkened considerably.

St. Zephyrus crooked his finger. Leo felt an inexorable force dragging her towards the cage and the hideous Hydra within it. She tried to struggle against it, but the air surged up relentlessly around her, forcing her along.

"STOP!! You bastard! Let her go!" Luffy shouted as he strained against his own invisible aria restraints. A number of his wounds have once again opened and blood flowed sluggishly down his face and limbs. His veins stood out darkly against his skin and his face flushed white from the over-exertion and pain, but he could not move an inch.

"Have a good time!" St. Zephyrus grinned malevolently and flourished his hand in a gesture of mock welcome.

Leo felt her blood run cold as she was lifted up into the air and flung up…into the Hydra's cage.

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TBC


	7. He survives

**A/N:** I apologise for the long delay in updates, but school has been killing me. Speaking of killing, ODA WTF YOU ACE YOU ARGH. I refuse to believe it!

Denial aside, this is another short but tedious action chapter (back to the crew next chapter I think). I have no idea how to write action sequences and felt sorry for the Hydra. It's all rubbish, so please proceed with low expectations.

**Disclaimer:** This is all respectfully borrowed from Oda's genius.

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Tenryuuto, _Mariejoa_

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As she was hurled through the air towards the Hydra's cage, Leo could clearly see its many pairs of repulsive yellow eyes fixed greedily on her. She could see its many sets of razor-sharp fangs, dripping dark corrosive spit and the muscles of its many necks tensing as it reared its ugly heads up, preparing to catch her like a dog catches a treat.

She's scared, no, she's absolutely _terrified_. But she wasn't about to go down without a fight.

Leona Beatta may be a doctor, but she was as good a fighter as any other marine. When she joined the Marines eight ago, she realised there were only two ways up in the civil service. If you didn't want to slime your way through to the top by sucking up to the right people and lining the right pockets; you would have to fight your way up through sheer overwhelming ability.

She didn't even have to think about which path to take, there was really only one path open to her. It wasn't an easy path, but she was thankful for it. After all, it meant that it didn't matter if you were female or if you had gills. It didn't even matter if you were some freak that didn't belong to one species or another. All that mattered was whether you had indispensable skills and indisputable abilities. So she made sure she did.

Once she was within the cage, Leo felt St. Zephyrus's air currents release her and she began to plunge downwards. There was a pungent, unpleasant smell of swamp water and decay coming from the Hydra. Eyes watering, she clenched her teeth and adjusted her position as she fell. Knees tucked in, braced for impact. Then she stretched out her arms and flexed out her fins, letting the spines rip through her heavy coat sleeves.

Fishman are ten times as strong as normal human beings and some species even have additional abilities. Although Leo is only half-fishman, she has inherited considerable strength and one special trait from her fishman father—The Lionfishman's poisonous spines.

Her spines were striped black and orange-red, like her hair. The vivid colouring and wicked sharpness announced their deadliness: the Lionfish is one of the most venomous fish on the ocean floor. Usually kept hidden from sight, Leo only used them only as a desperate last resort. She had never been more desperate than now.

One of the Hydra's reptilian heads shot up to attack her mid-air. She executed a difficult spin, barely escaping its eagerly snapping mouth, and dropped onto another of its heads. Gripping onto its scaly skin, she slashed out with her fins and punctured its humongous eye. At once, warm, black blood gushed out, drenching her in evil-smelling liquid.

The monster hissed in pain and whipped its multiple heads wildly around in a frantic attempt to shake her off. But Leo knew that once she hit the ground, she would be dead meat. So she clung on tightly, digging her nails into its unyielding scales.

Outside the cage, the Tenryuubito audience exploded in outrage. "A fruit user!" one squealed. "How dare that peasant hurt a royal pet!" another screeched.

"That's not a fruit user. That's hmm…A fishman?" St. Zephyrus looked on with mild interest, not at all concerned that his 'beloved' pet had just lost an eye, "Is the Marine so short of manpower that they're recruiting _animals_ now?" The Admiral shrugged and did not answer.

"A fishman!" the other Tenryuubito spat out the word scornfully, as if it dirtied their tongues to speak it, "Disgusting!"

Too preoccupied with her battle of survival to care about the commotion outside, Leo was beginning to despair. The Hydra's scales were too tough for her spines to pierce and her poison had only taken out one of its nine heads. The other eight were encircling her cautiously, preparing to attack. The Hydra was still wary of her, but it was only a matter of time before the heads close in and tear her apart.

The serpentine heads surrounded her. Everywhere she turned, she could see only death. _To hell with it_, she decided. Once again, there was only really one choice available. The Hydra's only weak points were its eyes, so that was where she must attack. Using the Hydra's neck as a pathway, Leo took the initiative and darted up towards her target.

Her sudden movements took the monster by surprise. Its serpentine heads swiftly recoiled from her, but she leaped out towards the nearest one, bringing up her arm to strike. Then suddenly— another of the Hydra's head snapped back, quick as a whiplash, and her raised arm exploded with pain as it was crushed between its powerful jaws. Unable to take it any longer, Leo cried out in agony.

Fortunately, the Hydra was also in pain, because Leo's venomous spines had pierced the soft walls of its mouth. It released her almost immediately, and she fell to the wet cage floor with a sluggish splash.

"Kill her! Kill her!" the audience outside were chanting excitedly, cheering the monster on. It was hard to tell which was more monstrous—The Hydra or the Tenryuubito. Those soulless world aristocrats felt nothing but exhilaration and bloodlust as they watched the cruel battle. To them, it was just entertainment. The cheers reached a feverish pitch when the Hydra began to bear down upon its broken prey.

"LEO!!!" Luffy's heart-wrenching shout tore through the hall. His voice was hoarse, but it overpowered and drowned out all the bloodthirsty cheers. Stunned, everyone fell silent. Even the Hydra paused in its advance. It was like a hurricane swept through the hall, cleansing it of its heinous depravity.

Luffy, who had been struggling futilely against St. Zephyrus's powers up till now, was the only one still moving. Throwing back his head, he drew a deep breath and sucked up all the air around him in one huge gush of wind. In that moment, he broke out of the Tenryuubito Lord's restraint. Not wasting a single second, he released all the air again, propelling himself straight into the Hydra's cage.

"Haoshoku haki?" St. Zephyrus leaned forward in his throne bemusedly, but didn't do anything to stop the ongoing show, "That was unexpected."

Though Hydra was surprised by Luffy's sudden entrance, it did not hesitate in its attack. But Luffy didn't even give it a chance to.

"Gomu Gomu no Gatling!" A flurry of fists landed violently on the monster, taking out every single one of its remaining heads and causing it to reel back from the very force of the attack. When Luffy's punches finally stopped, the Hydra toppled to the side and smashed heavily into the Fiverglas wall. Some of Tenryuubito outside screamed, furious and alarmed.

_Shut up shut up shut up_, Leo thought through the haze of her misery. She was barely conscious, her left arm was broken and she was half-drowning in swampy waters just 2 inches deep. Her thoughts were filled with nothing but hate. Hate for those annoying screamers, hate for the cruel Tenryuubito, hate for humans, hate for fishmen, hate for her heartless father, hate for this entire forsaken world. She was just waiting to die, be it being swallowed whole by the Hydra or just suffocating in the mud.

"Leo! Leo!" someone was calling her name. Gentle hands lifted her face out of the water and thumped her on the back, forcing life unwillingly back into her. "Wake up! I'm going to get you out of here!"

Opening her eyes, she blurrily made out the pirate kid's battered face grinning down at her. _What the hell are you doing in here?_ _Are you stupid_? she wanted to say, but couldn't. In a way, she was in this position because of him. In a way, it was all the fault of this idiotic, troublesome pirate. But somehow, even while she was hating the entire world, she could not bring herself to hate him.

"Ah, I think the ugly lion thing is back up," he told her as he dragged her out of the water and onto a dry patch of sand, "Wait here. I'll do something about it."

Strangely enough, she believed him…

Luffy had full confidence in his ability to take out the Hydra. It wasn't unfounded confidence, since he'd eaten bigger sea monsters for lunch before. But he'd forgotten about all the accumulated damage his body had taken beginning from that fateful day on Shabondy. The very fact that the Hydra had recovered so quickly from his Gatling gun attack was indicative of the drastic decrease in his power. A moment's adrenaline explosion upon seeing Leo in life-threatening danger might have put him into reflexive action, but no miracle would sustain it.

He could feel cold sweat running down his back as he faced up to the severely pissed-off Hydra and realised that he could barely even lift his arm. He had to finish this in one blow…It was all or nothing.

Raising his thumb to his mouth, Luffy bit down in determination and activated Gear Third. The Hydra seemed to detect the threat. It immediately drew back its necks and launched out in full-out attack, shooting forward with huge jaws open and ready to tear its prey to pieces.

"Gomu Gomu no Gigant Pistol!!!"

The entire of force of Luffy's giant fist landed solidly on the Hydra's body, blowing it off the ground and straight into the Fiverglas cage wall. It smashed into the wall with a sickening crunch; a web of cracks began to spread rapidly out across the clear surface, then the wall completely shattered. The Hydra fell out of its cage and collapsed into the open.

The Tenyruubito ran amok, screaming hysterically, all trying to get out of the hall as quickly as possible. A troop of Royal guards rushed in to control the situation while trying not to anger any of the nobles. The entire place was in utter chaos.

"I told you he was a handful," Admiral Kizaru chuckled lowly as he surveyed the anarchy like a detached spectator.

"Indeed," St. Zephyrus replied with a mirthless smile. His dark, arrogant eyes glittered coldly as he looked down at where Luffy lay, motionless amid all the hysteria. The teenage pirate had shrunk to child-size and lost consciousness immediately after the punch. A little further away, the red-haired doctor was trying feebly to crawl towards him.

"Take those two to the dungeons. I'll deal with them later," he ordered the royal guards stationed behind him, before lazily turning his attention to restoring order in the great hall.

Admiral Kizaru relaxed his stance, sliding his hands into his trousers pockets. Those two had somehow managed to survive for the time being. But as for the future… "Ah…this is so troublesome," he grumbled again to himself.

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TBC


	8. An uneasy alliance

**A/N:** I'M BACK. School is over. For now. Hopefully updates will be more regular now, if anyone still cares for this story haha. With regards to Ace, I have faith in Oda-sensei. _Togashi_ on the other hand…anyone else reads HxH? I'm so angry right now RAGEEE

Thanks for all reviews by the way. Greatly appreciated!

Jasmin: No, I totally agree with you! But I thought I addressed that? Cause his first words in Chap 5 were "Where's Ace" followed by "Where's my hat" and finally "Is there anything to eat". Eh, guess it's not clear enough, sorry :P

**Disclaimer:** This is all respectfully borrowed from Oda's genius.

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Aboard the _Thousand Sunny_

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A waning silver moon hung lowly in the sky, casting ghostly light upon the deceptively placid waters of the calm belt. The peaceful ocean surface gave away nothing about the pirate ship travelling rapidly beneath it, in silence and darkness so complete it was like the ship was sailing through a starless night sky.

Within the Sunny-go, the air was electric. The Strawhat pirates stood spread out upon the ship deck, eyes narrowed, with weapons raised and ready to strike. Standing composedly before them, entirely unfazed by their intense hostility, was their former nemesis.

"Which one of you is the navigator?" Crocodile asked, exhaling a puff of cigar smoke and easily meeting their glares with arrogant, half-lidded eyes.

No one answered. His appearance was a complete, unexpected and unwanted surprise; the Strawhats were unsure of how to respond except with suspicion and animosity.

"Really now, there's no need to be so tense," Crocodile drawled, as if everything that happened in Alabasta was just some small, easily-forgotten trifle, "I have no interest in fighting any of you."

The former head of Baroque Works did not have a reputation for honesty and nobility, so unsurprisingly, no one believed his words. The weapons stayed ready and the tension only increased.

He surveyed the crew, finally resting his eyes on Robin, "Miss All Sunday—or should I say, Nico Robin. I didn't expect to see you here, but it's good. This means you are not _all_ imbeciles. You should know that you cannot afford to fight me now, not if you still intend to break into the world capital…and I have already said that I am not here to fight you."

"Then what are you here for?" Robin asked coldly in return.

"…I'm following _him_," The former Shichibukai slanted his gaze dismissively towards Ace. "He's the only one of Whitebeard's crew I managed to find after their glorious retreat from Marineford. I'm not about to let him get away again. You will not believe how quickly they run away, these Whitebeard pirates. Though I must say…at least this much is worthy of his reputation."

Ace bore the mocking words grimly. It was hard to see his expression under the shadow of Luffy's strawhat, but he showed no visible signs of having even heard what Crocodile said. However, that disturbing and incompatible air of heaviness around him seemed to swell and darken, so much so that it was almost tangible.

"Their entire crew had disappeared into the horizon by the time I left Marineford," Crocodile's words dripped with scorn, "But it was my misjudgement. I overestimated the importance of your little captain."

"You…you stayed behind?" Ace finally spoke. His voice was strained, as if he was speaking through a torrent of repressed emotions.

Crocodile frowned; he seemed surprised by the question. "Not for long," he snarled, narrowing his eyes, "And not for _him_."

Ace considered this for a moment; his next words were completely outrageous. "Will you go with us to Mariejoa?"

The Strawhat pirates all snapped their gazes to him in shock, unable to believe what he was suggesting. Did he just ask their former nemesis, the nefarious criminal who'd almost ruined an entire country, the man who had just insulted his entire crew and beloved captain, to join them on what was probably their most important and dangerous mission ever? What was he thinking?

"I'm not here to join your little rescue mission, Fire-fist Ace!" Crocodile growled, eyes flashing with rage and some inexplicable agitation, "I only need you to take me to where Whitebeard is hiding, so I can take his cowardly head! The man has lived long enough; he is now a mere embarrassment!"

"Say what you will," Ace smiled bitterly, taking the insults head-on with nothing more than a slight tightening of his jaw. "I will not return without Luffy," he said, "You will go with us to Mariejoa." It was not a question.

For a moment, there was murderous intent within Crocodile's reptilian eyes, but he quickly regained his arrogant, unaffected composure. "Indeed. I will," he spoke as if he was conferring them a great honour, "Now will you tell me which one of you is the navigator? I would prefer that we do not sail straight into a disaster. After all, we are on the same boat…for now."

The Strawhats looked at each other and came to an unspoken agreement of temporarily compromise. Nami stepped forward, "I'm the navigator. What do you mean by 'a disaster'?"

"Why, you naïve _fool_," Crocodile looked upon her with contemptuous pity, "Did you think that you can emerge right in the middle of Mariejoa's bay and not attract any attention? It may be the busiest port in the world, but it is also the most securely guarded one. Do you think the royal guards are all blind?

"Where is your map? You need to re-adjust our course. There is a special entrance, for the Shichibukai. The World Government does not like to be seen dealing with us, so they've created a backdoor…to let us sneak in like thieves in the night."

"I—" Nami turned to the rest of her crew, unsure of whether she ought to follow the instructions of this odious man. Most of their faces were blank or confused, offering no help whatsoever. Sanji gave her a small nod, indicating that he was leaving the decision up to her. Robin's brows were knitted tightly into a frown, but she bit her lips and looked away, conflicted between logical reasoning and her blind hatred of her former employer.

"Please do as he says," Ace quietly requested from beside her, "If possible." Nami raised an inquisitive eyebrow, but he merely looked steadily back, declining to further explicate his reasons. She was to be the one to make the final judgement call; they all trusted her to do it.

Crocodile watched dispassionately as all this went on, smoking his cigar and looking as if he was on a luxury cruise.

"Fine, follow me," Nami finally made her decision after careful consideration, and she executed it swiftly and efficiently, "But don't you dare smoke in my room." She made the former Shichibukai extinguish his cigar, which he did with flourish upon the deck, leaving a burn mark on the polished wood. Franky looked ready to blast a bazooka at him, but Usopp managed to placate the shipwright just in time. Nami glared at the slick man with the insufferably smug look upon his face, but made no further comments and simply led him briskly across the deck towards her navigation cabin. Sanji and Robin followed close behind as her escorts.

"What the hell was that about?" Zoro growled after they disappeared below deck, turning to Ace with a disgruntled look on his face, "Why did we just agree to work with that bastard?"

"Yeah!" Chopper chirped up, scrunching up his blue nose in frustration, "He's a really bad guy, Ace! You can't trust him!"

"I know," Ace sighed, "I don't trust him either, but this is definitely the best, perhaps the only, course of action for now…and perhaps…"

"What?" Usopp asked.

"Perhaps he has other reasons for coming along. You know what it means when he said he stayed behind in Mariejoa, even after we…retreated? It means he most likely tried harder than we did to rescue Luffy…" Ace smiled ruefully and shook his head, expressing disbelief his own words, "It sounds so absurd when I say it out. I don't even—I didn't—I."

He paused, having descended into incoherency. The remorse and regret was creeping back into his mind even though he'd tried hard to shut out all the negative emotions. But the thought that even Crocodile—_Crocodile_— did more for his little brother than he did. It was unacceptable.

"Eh, lighten up Ace," Usopp comforted awkwardly, "It's not your fault. Luffy wouldn't want you get beat up about all this."

"Right, it's fine. If that bastard gets in the way, I'll just slice him," Zoro helped to moderate the mood as well, in his own way.

Ace rested his hand on Luffy's strawhat and grinned. It was almost as if he could feel his brother's boundless strength and tenacity through its salt-stiff, weathered grooves. That's right. It was not the time for dwelling upon what he could have done; it was the time to kick ass and be the kind of great brother he should be, like Luffy was.

"Hmm, who was that bloke?" Brook finally asked after prolonged silence.

"Whoever he is, he sure ain't Super," Franky answered moodily.

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The Dungeons, _Mariejoa_

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"Hey! Someone! We need fresh water and bandages in here!" Leo hollered through the small barred window of the cell, "NOW!"

No one responded. Not one single ugly dungeon keeper or angry guard. There was nothing outside but dark, empty corridors. It was frustrating and she can't keep it up for much longer. Although she had a much tougher constitution than most other ladies thanks to her fishmen heritage, the pain in her mangled arm was numbing her senses and draining what little strength she had left. Beside her, Luffy laid chest-down on the damp hay, his blood spreading across the ground like a shadow extending at sunset. His exposed back was a charred, horrifying mess. He needed treatment soon. Immediately.

"Someone! Anyone!" Leo shouted desperately, so loud her throat hurt, "Damn you heartless—"

"Shit, woman! Shut up," a voice suddenly hissed. It came from the corner of the window, very close to the door, but at a dead angle she cannot see through the small opening. The voice was rough and low, the words ungracefully formed, as if the owner was unused to speech and did not care much for it either.

"Fresh water and bandages," she demanded unrelentingly, though she obligingly lowered her voice to a whisper, "Disinfectants. And antibiotics."

"Asking for an entire bloody pharmacy," the voice grumbled in reply, but a roll of white bandages, a bottle and a small metallic flask was handed to her through the bars of the cell. "That's all I can give you for now. There's alcohol in the flask. Help the boy—What are you doing?"

After accepting the flask of alcohol, Leo immediately twisted it open and took a big swig. Without a pause, she took hold of her broken arm and snapped it back into position. There was a sharp, sickening crunch. It echoed in the cell and down the dungeon corridor.

Leo slumped down onto the dungeon floor, her face flushed completely white; but she didn't emit any more than a small hiss of pain throughout the process of setting her own arm. With a trembling hand, she picked up the flask and took another swig.

"You were saying?" she asked weakly, tilting her head up towards the barred window while blinking cold sweat out of her eyes.

"…shit, woman," the voice had changed. It now contained a note of respect. A head appeared at the window, but it was hooded and masked. A royal guard; in fact, one of St. Zephyrus's personal guards. "Look after the boy. He's the son of my commander.

"I'll be back after before dawn. Rest now. Prepare for escape."

He was gone before she could answer, but that did not bother Leo. She had other things to worry about. Pulling herself together, she moved slowly towards Luffy and started tending to his wounds as best as she could.

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TBC


	9. A midnight escapade

**A/N:** Sorry it took so long. Internships are worse than school. I can't imagine actually having to work full-time. This chapter is so raw it's probably full of errors. I think I need a beta. How do I find one?

As always, thanks for all reviews! I'm glad people are reading this. It motivates me to write. (As for Ace: I don't care what you draw Oda, I've still got a foot in the Nile)

**Disclaimer:** This is all respectfully borrowed from Oda's genius.

* * *

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(Aboard the _Thousand Sunny_)

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The scenery outside was unchanged; a dense black canvas, impenetrable to the human eye. If only one could see into that uncompromising darkness, one would see the vibrancy of the deep sea. The brightly coloured coral, the vivacious and vicious invertebrates, the schools of animated fishes hunting smaller ones even while seeking refuge from bigger ones. And of course, looking as if it's just ahead in the distance because of the way it fills your vision with its sheer incomprehensible bulk, the humongous, indomitable wall of deep crimson rock that is the Red Line.

The passengers on the Thousand Sunny could not see in the dark, despite all their devil fruit powers and abilities to cut through granite. They were, however, well aware of the great barrier before them and its implications. Somewhere above and beyond, but not too far away, sprawling majestically atop the Red Line, was their target destination. It was almost time for take-off and all hands were on deck.

"So you're eh, sure about this huh, Ace?" Usopp asked as they waited for Nami and Robin to measure out the exact spot where the Yarukiman bubble must be punctured in order to bring them to the surface and not the bottom of the sea. "Going off with Crocodile by yourself. I mean, the plan makes sense, what with the two of you being the only logia fruit users, but I trust that guy about as far as I can throw him. Which is, you know, not at all."

"Heh, I don't trust him either, but beggars can't be choosers," the effect of Ace's normally reassuring grin was weakened by his clouded eyes, "At this point in time, I would do just about anything if someone told me it'd help Luffy."

Usopp nodded mutely, accepting Ace's reply with easy faith.

"I know I'm not at my most reasonable and rational right now, but you guys…" Ace smiled, a little sheepishly, "Thanks…for understanding."

"Hey, you're Luffy's brother. That makes you part of the family," Usopp grinned back.

"All right, everyone! Get into position!" Nami announced. She was looking rather distracted, checking fastidiously between her log pose and calculations. Everyone aboard, even a certain former Shichibukai, immediately snapped to attention and followed her instructions. The wait was over.

Usopp stepped up hastily next to Robin; he pulled down his goggles and began focusing his aim. Calling the equipment in his hands a "drill" was a bit of a misnomer; the bubble-burster Rayleigh passed them worked more like a gun than a drill. One shot. That's all he was going get to make or break their infiltration plan.

"We're counting on you, Usopp," Nami murmured to him just before she began count down, "In ten, nine, eight…"

The sharp-shooter had his sights trained fixedly on the tiny white marking Robin had made earlier with her hana hana powers, the bubble being far beyond reach from the ship by normal means. The distance of the mark was difficult to judge—the bubble's transparent walls were basically invisible against the inky darkness of the sea, and anything he could see was distorted by the movement of the currents. But it wasn't impossible. A drop of sweat dripped down Usopp's nose as he adjusted his aim with expert care.

"…Three, two, one—NOW!"

Usopp fired on cue. His hands were steady, despite being sweaty with nervousness, and his aim was true. "Good job," Zoro commented from the side, squinting at the white marking that was now a gaping hole. Chopper gave a little excited cheer. Usopp wiped the sweat from his face and clenched his fists in subtle celebration.

The drill punctured the bubble with deceptive gentleness; the escaping air started as a trickle, then increased. Then, suddenly, an explosion of air caused the Thousand Sunny to be violently propelled from its current route, pushing it rapidly upward in a rush of bubbles. Following which, there was a long, tense period before the waters started thinning out. The silvery light of the moon illuminated the waters, presenting them with a gradual change of gradient the further up they travelled.

Finally, they emerged in a great splash of water and debris. The remnants of the Yarukiman bubble disintegrated instantly as the ship emerged into the air, causing everyone abroad to be thoroughly soaked in sea water. The Thousand Sunny trashed about on the sea surface a little, like a sea sick journeyman sailing out for the first time, but soon settled down along with the waves shocked by its dramatic entrance.

The crew was vigilant all the while, but it'd seemed like their plan, and Crocodile's coordinates, had worked out. They had emerged in the shadow of the Red Line, well shielded from the Jasper Gate across the waters and the Mariejao jetty further down along the crimson cliffs. There was nothing around them but shabby abandoned ships and the debris of ancient wreckages.

"Security's tight, but I think even you monkeys can handle it," Crocodile commented after sweeping a look around. He'd been quick to dry himself and was attempting to light a soggy cigar. "All right, Fire-fist, let's go."

He tilted his head upwards, indicating a discrete opening set right in the middle of the sheer cliff face. The Shichibukai's designated entrance was completely inaccessible to any ordinary human being, should it ever discovered by one. It was high above the ocean, with nothing in between but expenses of bare crimson rock. The Shichibukai didn't need mundane things like stairs and ladders.

"You better not try anything funny, you got that?" Nami warned, still uncomfortable with Crocodile's participation, "We're not leaving this place without Luffy."

"If he's still here," Crocodile replied, not bothering to look back at her.

"What do you mean?" Nami, along with the rest of the Strawhat crew, was taken aback, "He may not be here? Why?"

"Don't you know what's taking place in 2 days? It's the annual Hunt. They call it _the_ _greatest game in the world_," Crocodile laughed darkly, but there was not a slightest bit of humour in his voice, "Better hurry before they start playing."

With that, he took off in a flurry of sand and smoke, disappearing up and into the passageway on the cliff with ease.

"Sorry I can't tell you more. Gotta go. Good luck guys," Ace gave them a hurried wave, then raced after Crocodile in a flight of flames.

"A hunt? What on earth?" Franky stared up at where the two logia users had gone.

"Worry about that later," Sanji advised, "We've got a captain to rescue."

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(The Dungeons, _Mariejoa_)

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Tending to Luffy's wounds, Leo discovered an incredulous fact. Although the branding iron had burned its way through his bandages, it had barely grazed his skin. It left a huge, raw and bloody wound, but it was not deep and it would heal.

This was definitely not some stroke of luck. She'd watched the cruel instrument pressed down without hesitation; the royal guard's movements had been swift and ruthless, without a hint of mercy. The injury itself confirmed that there was indeed no mercy. There was, however, immense control.

What skill the man must have had, to put on such a perfect performance while ensuring minimum damage. _Damn_, Leo thought, _this boy must have some unexpectedly strong allies. Maybe we'll get out of this alive after all_.

Luffy did not regain consciousness, but his breathing had stabilised and his bleeding had stopped after she administered treatment. Satisfied for now, Leo leaned back against the damp dungeon wall and reflected on the events of the past few days.

She thought she'd lost her direction in life after finding out that her father was one of the many prisoners that broke out of Impel Down that day. It was unlikely that she'd ever find him now, when he's free to roam the seas again. But here she was, tending to the boy responsible for setting that bastard free, pretty much throwing away her own career, her own _life_ in the process.

Not that her life was worth much. But it was not like her to get so…emotional.

She took another swig of what remains of the alcohol to dull the pain of her own injuries, and dozed off from exhaustion without even noticing.

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It was still dark when she was awoken by the metallic grind of the dungeon door's lock turning. She sat up reflexively and had to stifle a groan as her body protested with white-hot pain. A brief glance at Luffy assured her that he had not moved while she slept. It hurt like a bitch, but she managed to drag herself up, placing herself between him and the door.

She was aware that she's acting like a mother hen, but there was no time to think too much about it now. The lock pins slid into place with a dull click and the door was slowly nudged open. Flickering torch light leaked in from the corridors, but it was mostly blocked by the dark silhouette at the door.

"Get up. We're leaving," the voice was low and rough with disuse; the words grated out like a growl. It didn't take a genius to figure who he was.

"Be careful with him," she whispered when their nameless rescuer bent down to pick up Luffy's prone body. He answered with a short, ungraceful grunt, but his movements were almost delicate. Abruptly, Leo was reminded of the branding iron and how skilfully it had been wielded.

Before they left, he handed her a cloak; royal guard uniform, standard issue. She don it wordlessly.

They did not meet any trouble as they walked through passageway after passageway. There were a few close calls, but the guy obviously knew where they were going and how to get there unimpeded. She didn't remember what route they took or how far they walked; it took all her energy to just keep from stumbling.

It was only when she smelled the salty tinge of the sea and heard the sound of the waves that she realised they were at the jetty. The crescent moon was a thin waif in the sky and she could barely make out the dark shadow of the Jasper gate in the distance. Almost there. Just a little bit further to freedom.

Her heart skipped a beat when another royal guard came up to greet them. It continued thumping wildly until it became obvious that the new comer was one of them. Their rescuer conversed with him in harsh, urgent whispers; then they were led onto a small boat and taken to a much larger ship a little way from the jetty. She couldn't see much by the dim moonlight, but from the mere bulk, she suspected that it was a Government vessel. Alarm bells began ringing in her head.

However, there was nothing but blessed emptiness when they clambered silently over the railings onto the ship deck. No awaiting ambush or startled soldiers. Feeling their way through the dark, they climbed down into the ship hold. Once out of the open and in the dry, warm heart of the ship, Leo finally let go of the breath she was not even aware that she'd been holding. They did it—

Fssh. A match was struck and a lamp was lit without warning. The sudden light blinded her temporarily, but there was no mistaking the noxious, arrogant voice of St. Zephyrus when he spoke.

"Ahh, I was waiting for you three. I'm glad you made it. After all, I sure you'll make the Hunt just a little more..._ fun_."

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TBC


	10. A moonlight sonata

**A/N:** As always, sorry for the long wait. Unfortunately, nothing much happens this chapter either. All reviews are still greatly appreciated! Once again, I've failed to get a beta, so feel free to point out errors.

**Warning:** Some plot holes. Irresponsible writer.

**Disclaimer: **This is all respectfully borrowed from Oda's genius.

* * *

(Below deck, _WG Vessel 8_)

They were stuck in a cell again.

More accurately, they were stuck in a seastone cage, in the hold of a military vessel, in the middle of the Calm Line. The wooden floorboard was cold and damp, but a good deal more tolerable than the hard, grimy stone of the dungeon cell. There was a lantern in the corner, glowing so weakly it did little more than deepen the shadows all around. The silvery moonlight filtering in from the few portholes contributed much more to the illumination of their miserable condition.

"Some rescue," Leo sniped bitterly at the man sitting on the far end of the cage, breaking the oppressive silence.

The (now former) royal guard offered a non-descript grunt in reply. To say the least, he didn't seem very pleased by the way things had turned out either, but then again, he didn't seem like he'd ever be very much pleased about anything at all.

The actual royal guards had stripped him of the hooded uniform cape, so Leo finally got a good look at their would-be rescuer. He had a face that could have been cut from granite; heavy brows and thin lips set in a hard, humourless line. His hair was midnight black and cropped military short. The strangest things were his eyes, which were a sinister yellow with enlarged pupils, like a cat or a cold-blooded reptile in the dark.

"…L-Leo…?" Luffy finally stirred from his position on the floor beside her. The boy had slept through the entire ordeal, including that odious St. Zephyrus's smug self-congratulatory speech about the feebleness of their escape efforts and the impossibility of getting out of his hands. Those World nobles were all insufferable bastards, but that one must be the cream of the crop.

"Don't move," she laid a restraining hand on Luffy when he struggled to get up, "I put a lot of effort into patching you up. You better watch it, kid."

He stilled compliantly, catching his breath from the attempt to move and taking in the surrounding with curiosity. There wasn't much to look at, so he homed in on the only other person present almost immediately.

"Who are you?" he asked quite bluntly.

"I'm a member of the revolution," the man replied slowly with his low, gravelly voice, "…I'm here to help." Leo raised a skeptical eyebrow but refrained from commenting. The man hadn't been much help so far.

"Eh…" Luffy tilted his head, as if confused, "I meant, what's your name?"

"Amon," his bright yellow eyes glittered in the shadows as he inclined his head in greeting.

"I'm Luffy," Luffy responded warmly, "I'm going to be the future Pirate King! And this is Leo. She's a Marine, but she's really nice."

"I know. You father sent me." Without any warning, Amon got up from the far end of the cage and came up to them. His movement was so swift and silent Leo was startled into shrinking back defensively, but he only gave her a dry look and sat down before them.

"Listen carefully I'll only say this once," he started speaking in a soft, dull whisper which they had to strain to hear. "We are currently headed for Zaroff Island where the Tenryuubito hold their annual Hunt. Once there, we will be their game. The Hunt lasts three days. According to their rules, any prey that survives shall be set free. So far, none have. But that does not matter. It should all be over before the Hunt ends; we only need to survive till the Revolution comes."

"Oh, is that the plan?" Leo questioned bitterly, "What was that rescue business before all about?"

"…I have to be with him, to protect him on Zaroff."

"That's comforting to know," Leo couldn't keep the sarcasm out of her voice. "Except that the first thing you did was lead us into a trap." She wasn't quite sure why she was antagonising him, but there was something about him that unsettled her. She hadn't seen him in action, but the little clues were sufficient to confirm that he was strong and extremely skilled. Dangerous.

"Zaroff cannot be avoided. We have to go there."

"Whatever you say. I bet the Tenryuubito have no objections as well."

"Woman…" Amon's voice came out almost as a growl.

"I have a name," Leo scowled in return, not backing down in the least, "That's Dr. Beatta to you."

"Is it only us?" Luffy suddenly asked, breaking up their escalating argument, "Are we the only ones being hunted?"

"No," Amon answered shortly. Then he paused and added, "It's a big event. I don't know the figure for this year but last year there were 50; mostly slaves and prisoners. They like to hunt those with higher bounties...adds to the thrill."

"They kill them?"

"Yes."

"For fun?"

"…Yes."

Luffy lapsed into silence. Leo looked down at the young pirate, wondering what he was thinking. But she couldn't really see his expression in the dark. It was silly, but she wished they could have given him a better, kinder answer. But they were stuck with cruel reality.

"We're going to change this," Amon broke the silence, speaking with an uncharacteristic taint of fervour and determination, "That's what we're fighting for. What your father is fighting for. The Revolution."

(The Habour, _Mariejoa_)

Brook adjusted his hat and brushed invisible lint off his trousers as he prepared for his grand performance.

"That's pretty far out," Zoro squinted at the Pearl Gate and the sentry guarding it, too small to be seen from their current position but undoubtedly there, "Are you sure it's gonna reach them?"

"Heh, it is going to blast out their ears," Franky declared as he set up the last of the amplifiers he'd built specially for the occasion. When he plugged Brook's modified electric violin in, sparks flew. "Take it away Brook! SUPER!"

"Before I begin, I think it would be advisable for everyone to put these on," Brook started handing out a bunch of ear plugs.

"Eh, we're two sets short," Usopp informed him after the safety device got passed around.

"Yohoho! The ladies won't be needing any."

"What's this about? What exactly does your music do?" Nami demanded uneasily.

"It makes all girls show me their underwear! Hohoho!" Brook replied cheerfully. He'd wink if he had eyelids.

"Awesomeeee!" Sanji immediately gave his full approval.

They were both smashed into the floorboards by Nami with a merciless punch.

"Be serious about this! We're right outside the heart of the World Government!" she hissed.

"I sincerely apologise!" the skeletal gentleman bowed low after picking himself up from the floor. He dug in his pockets and produced the required sets of earplugs, "I have your earplugs right here. In return, would you perhaps, kindly allow me to view your panties?"

He received another hard punch for his effort.

"…are you sure this is going to be ok?" Usopp whispered uneasily to the swordsman beside him.

"Just let him do what he wants. If it doesn't work…I get to try out my new sword," Zoro's grin was decidedly bloodthirsty as he let his hand rest on the hilt of a charred and evil-looking katana hanging by his side. He licked his lips and looked very much like he'd prefer if Brook messed up and they had to cut a bloody trail up into the city instead. Usopp shivered and hurriedly stuffed his earplugs into place, once again reminded that his crewmates were a bunch of monsters.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Brook announced, elegantly flourishing his violin bow, "I present…_The Devil's Thrill_."

It was a pity that none of his crewmates could hear a single word. Robin and Nami were on the waver, revving it up and waiting Franky's cue. Usopp, Chopper, Sanji and Zoro were onboard the Mini Merry II, waiting to follow Nami's lead. And they all had their earplugs on.

It was a pity because he was about to give a concert to remember. He'd written this piece in Harahetternia and had played it only once, against the Longman Tribe. Music was powerful and this was powerful music. They had truly believed that he was the devil after that performance. But that experience taught him an important lesson…this wasn't a song he would want his nakama to hear.

_Maybe I should wear some earplugs too…but I haven't got any ears! Hohoho!_ He tipped his hat at Franky and settled his violin onto his bony shoulder. It'd taken time for him to get used to not having any flesh to cushion the instrument, but now it fit the crook of his neck quite snugly. Franky gave a thumbs-up and cranked the volume up to maximum. Nami, noting the signal, sped off with a splash, drenching Usopp and company in the tiny steam peddler behind. Brook pulled the first note.

Hauntingly beautiful music washed gently across the Habour.

Navigating the waver carefully through the narrow channels between abandoned ships and wreckages, Nami's eyes lit up as the port came into view. "It worked!" She cried excitedly, then blushed when she realised that no one could hear her as they all had earplugs on.

As far as she could see, every single person on the port had collapsed, littering it with motionless bodies. The deathly stillness that had taken over the usually busy habour was discomfortingly eerie. The closer they got, the more anxious she became, her blood beginning to run cold when she realised that the dark shadows around the fallen people were actually puddles of blood. _What exactly did Brook do? You couldn't possibly kill people with just a song, could you?_

Chopper immediately rushed to the nearest body upon coming up to the port. He visibly breathed a sigh of relief when he signalled to his crewmates that the person was still alive. He checked a few more and confirmed that all of them had merely passed out, despite all that blood. The perceptible tension among the Strawhats lightened, not that they would have been frazzled by the brutality, but simply because they did not expect such cold-bloodedness from affable, good-natured Brook.

Without anymore hesitation, they began their race against time up the Red Line, heading straight for the Holy Capital.

Back abroad the Thousand Sunny, Franky shut down the speakers on Brook's cue and peered curiously into the silent night. The rest of their crewmates must be heading up the cliff by now.

"What'd ya do? Put them all to sleep?" he asked the musician.

"Something like that," Brook chuckled, merrily clicking his bare teeth together, "You know how, when you have a nice dream, you get excited and start having nosebleeds? I gave them all very nice dreams, if you know what I mean...Yohoho!"

"… …" Franky raised a thick, synthetic eyebrow at his companion and tried to convince himself that he was only creeped out by the grinning skull. He didn't think too much about it though— he had a big job to do. He needed to find some way to get them out of here later.

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**TBC**


End file.
